本文主張將「尋根」的理論話語與文學創作區別對待，嘗試從現代性的角度介入1985 年大陸的文化語境，結合針鋒相對的論爭聲音來重新考察「尋根」主張的多重內涵。本文認為「尋根」實為作家們在文化熱中提交的一份現代性方案，而從圍繞「尋根」展開的「古今之爭」中，亦能看出評論界本身在現代性觀點上的衝突與裂隙。

Attempting to make a difference between the theoretic discourses and the literary works, the paper aims to re-examine the multiple connotations of “root-seeking” discourses in Mainland China in 1985. After close analyzing the context of the Culture Fever and reviewing the “root-seeking” debates rampant during this year by a modernity approach, the paper comes to the conclusion that the “root-seeking” discourses actually conveyed the modernity appeal of the writers during the Culture Fever; the debate actually revealed the discrepancies and the divisiveness of the Chinese academe on modernity notions during the time.