Abstract: There is a fundamental anxiety throughout Yan Zhen's novels, i.e. material money worship and relativism of values prevailing among the intellectuals in crisis of belief facing deconstruction of the traditional ethics under multi-dimensional impact. To this problem, two solutions are vaguely suggested by the novelist in his works: 1) re-establishing the moral benchmark by tracing back to the traditional ethics; and 2) transcending the contradiction through aesthetic salvation. Effect of the traditional ethics is, however, limited while aesthetic salvation is a form of poetic self comfort rather than a practical solution to the realistic dilemma faced by the intellectuals. The reconstruction of the spiritual world of the contemporary intellectuals requires as premise protection of their basic individual rights and greater freedom of thought by law.

Key words: Yan Zhen, deconstruction, traditional ethics, post-modernism, intellectual