马克斯·舍勒将伦理意识的现代性问题诊断为“价值的颠覆”。本书以此作为切入点，研究朱利安·巴恩斯小说中个体的生存困境，把握从19世纪末至今英国现代化进程中个体、民族及国家命运的走向，发掘貌似浅薄的文字游戏背后所潜藏的巴恩斯对英国及其人民的悲悯情怀。
本书以舍勒构建的先验的情感价值级序为框架，分析人心秩序和社会秩序的失序造成的生存困境。若能重拾舍勒的先验价值级序，去营造爱、构建爱，或可恢复爱的秩序，重建爱的共同体，进而引领当代人逃离生存困境。

宫昀，女，咸阳师范学院外国语学院讲师，文学博士，毕业于复旦大学外文学院英语系。研究方向为英语文学文化、英语教学等。曾在《四川戏剧》等核心期刊发表论文多篇，出版译著2部。主持省级项目1项、厅级项目1项，参与国家级重大项目1项。

Abbreviations
Introduction
Ⅰ.Julian Barnes and His Works
Ⅱ.Critical Reception of Julian Barnes's Novels
Ⅲ.Overview of the Theoretical Approach
Chapter One Self-Awareness Predicament in Flaubert's Parrot
Ⅰ.Place of the Author in Biographical Narrative
1.The Utilitarian Author
2.The Author as the Aesthete
Ⅱ.Identity of the Self in Fictional Narrative
1.A Cuckold or a Man of Honour
2.An Uxoricide or a Euthanasia Executor
3.A Postmodernist Narrator and the Implied Author
Chapter Two Gender Predicament in England, England
Ⅰ.Forgery of Gender Roles
1.Male Evasiveness
2.Female Aggressiveness
Ⅱ.Oppression in Gendered Spaces
1.Manipulation in Subordinate England
2.Reification in Dominant "England, England"
Chapter Three Ethnic Predicament in Arthur & George
Ⅰ.Plight of Religious Belief Concerning Ethnic Background
1.Arthur: from Catholicism to Spiritualism
2.George: from Anglicanism to Zoroastrianism
Ⅱ.Marriage Dilemma Concerning Religious Belief
1."The Knight Protected His Lady"
2.The Younger Sister as the Surrogate Wife
Ⅲ.Judicial Injustice Concerning Racial Resentment
1.A Solicitor Suffering from Judicial Persecution
2."The Strong Aided the Weak"
Chapter Four Psychological Predicament in The Sense of an Ending
Ⅰ.Self-preservation to Avoid Psychological Aporia
1.Constructing the Self
2.Collapse of the Self
3.Readjusting the Self
Ⅱ.Defiance of Psychological Homogenization
1.Mrs.Ford: Jealous Venus
2.Adrian: From Perfectionist Eros to Disillusioned Thanatos
3.Veronica: Devoted Psyche
Conclusion
References