Comparative literature emerged as an academic field in the 19th century through the interactions between different literary traditions and influences. Early contributions came from France, where Abel Villemain's lectures at the Sorbonne in 1827 are considered some of the first systematic comparative studies. Comparative literature then developed different national schools, with France focusing on comparisons between European literatures, America blending it with broader humanities, Germany growing after WWII thanks to Peter Szondi, and England tracing origins back to comparing works like Shakespeare to other traditions. The field continues evolving to meet new academic standards while addressing its Western biases.

1. Comparative Literature
‫وتطوره‬ ‫نشأته‬ ‫المقارن؛‬ ‫األدب‬

2. • Comparative literature naturally preceded its formal
emergence as an academic field due to the interaction
of different literary traditions and the influence
between them.

3. • An early example of this influence can be seen in the impact of Greek literature on Roman
literature after Rome defeated Greece in 146 BC.
• In the science of Arabic rhetoric, Ibn Sinan and Ibn al-Atheer made various and interesting
comparisons about the Arabic letter. Or the Arabic style and its comparison with other
languages.
• Al-Jahiz pointed out some foreign words in the Arabic language and the reasons for their
introduction and the impact of the environment and neighborhood on that, but all studies
of the Arabs do not constitute a book, and if all of their notes were collected, it would not
have exceeded a few pages.

4. • As for medieval critics in Europe, they were interested in mentioning what their book took
from Greek and classical literature, and the research was closer to the topic of literary
theft.
• In the eighteenth century, influence and influence expanded among European countries,
especially in Italy, Spain, and England, and translations between these literatures
increased, but the interest of Europeans in the history of literature more than others
obscured the emergence of comparative literature.

5. •
‫أن‬ ‫على‬ ‫النقاد‬ ‫ويتفق‬
‫فرنسا‬
‫األدبي‬ ‫المعرفة‬ ‫فروع‬ ‫من‬ ‫النوع‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫والدة‬ ‫شهد‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫البلد‬ ‫هي‬
‫وكان‬ ، ‫ة‬
‫ألقى‬ ‫عندما‬ ‫ذلك‬
"
‫نويل‬ ‫فرانسوا‬
"
‫جامعة‬ ‫في‬ ‫المقارن‬ ‫األدب‬ ‫في‬ ‫محاضرات‬ ‫مساعديه‬ ‫وبعض‬
"
.
‫السربون‬
"
‫عامي‬
(
1816
،
1825
‫م‬
)
‫على‬ ‫فيها‬ ‫التركيز‬ ‫وكان‬
‫والالتينية‬ ‫الفرنسية‬ ‫اآلداب‬
‫واإليطالية‬ ‫واإلنجليزية‬
..
‫المقارن‬ ‫األدب‬ ‫رائد‬ ‫بحق‬ ‫الدارسون‬ ‫اعتبره‬ ‫من‬ ‫بعده‬ ‫جاء‬ ‫ثم‬
"
‫أبي‬
‫ل‬
‫فيلمان‬
"
" Able Villeman"
‫عام‬ ‫صيف‬ ‫السربون‬ ‫جامعة‬ ‫في‬ ‫حاضر‬ ‫الذي‬
1828
‫عام‬ ‫و‬
1829
‫م‬
.
‫وقد‬
‫وت‬ ‫واإلنجليزي‬ ‫الفرنسي‬ ‫األدبين‬ ‫بين‬ ‫المتبادلة‬ ‫التأثيرات‬ ‫المحاضرات‬ ‫هذه‬ ‫في‬ ‫تناول‬
‫األدب‬ ‫أثير‬
‫القرن‬ ‫إيطاليا‬ ‫في‬ ‫الفرنسي‬
.
‫عشر‬ ‫الثامن‬
.
‫فيه‬ ‫استخدم‬ ‫التي‬ ‫المحاضرات‬ ‫هذه‬ ‫نشرت‬ ‫وقد‬
‫فيلمان‬ ‫ا‬
"
‫صراحة‬ ‫المقارن‬ ‫األدب‬ ‫مصطلح‬

6. • Despite these early contributions, French universities didn't officially recognize the
independence of comparative literature until around 1840. The field continued to evolve
with books like "Comparative Literature of French and Spanish" by Adolphe de Puibusque,
which explicitly used the term "comparative literature." Notably, Switzerland, Germany,
and England also made significant contributions to the development of comparative
studies.

7. • The systematic development of comparative literature in the Arab world came later, with
Muhammad Ghunaimi's book "Comparative Literature" in 1953, heavily influenced by
French literature and Western literary examples.
• Comparative literature in the Arab world evolved as a result of relying on the culture of
others, rather than a specific intellectual movement or scientific method.

8. The French School:
- The French School believes that Abel Villemain was the first to notice textual comparison, starting with his lectures
at the Sorbonne in 1827. This was followed by Jean Jacques Ampère's lectures in 1830 at the same university.
- Their approach contributed to the rise of French literature and its comparison with European literature, leading to
fervent discussions, including works by authors like Villa Richelieu, Jules Pâtesch, and Fernand Baldensperger.
- Paul Van Thiegem's study asserted that comparative literature could be considered a science. His first book,
"Comparative Literature," established him as a global reference.
- These writings, despite their recency, led to a more rigid movement that was fiercely critical of French texts,
considered detrimental to literature, and promoting colonial regionalist viewpoints.

9. The American School:
- American scholars began embracing the authenticity of comparative literature around 1889. This
was initiated by Charles Gillie through lectures on comparative literary criticism at the University of
Michigan and Harvard.
- Notably, the American approach often merged comparative literature with general literature
and the humanities, as seen in the influence of the International Comparative Literature
Association.

10. German School
• German Comparative Literature started in the late 19th century.
• It grew significantly after World War II, thanks to scholar Peter Szondi.Szondi studied drama,
hermetic poetry, and hermeneutics. He invited prominent international scholars, forming a
crucial network.The discipline was Western-oriented, often excluding scholars from East
Germany or other regions.
• Influence came from East European structuralism. Concepts from this era still affect comparative
literary theory today. Many German universities offer Comparative Literature programs. It's
adapting to new academic requirements.

11. The English School:
- English scholars claim that the origin of comparative literature can be traced back to William
Shakespeare's works.
- George Ellis, through his study of old English poetry, developed the concept of comparison.
- Charles Dryden's 1801 work on English theater contributed to a new understanding of
comparing Greek and Roman theater with German and French counterparts.