Abstract:  Taking the disciplinary evolution of British literary criticism as an example, this article explores the theoretical forms of English language studies and disciplinary development of literary criticism in the light of their several transitional stages from the perspective of western academic history, in order to recognize and learn from the development law of the discipline of literary theories. Classical philology represented by Oxford and Cambridge in the 19th century was the embryo stage of British literary criticism; the period from the late 19th century to the early 20th century constitutes the transformation stage that witnessed the turn from classical philology to the discipline of British literary criticism; and the first twenty years of the 20th century can be deemed as the disciplinary establishment stage during which British literary criticism moved from the verge of university humanities education to the center. 

Key words: classical philology, English language studies, literary criticism, disciplinary formation, cultural studies, genealogy