량치차오[梁啓超]의 ‘국성(國性)’론과 ‘중화민족(中華民族)’의 신질서(新秩序) 모색(摸索)

Abstract

This study analyzes the meaning of “ guoxing (國性)” theory first proposed by Liang Qichao (梁啓超) and how it reinterprets Confucius’ theory which he proposed as a symbol of the guoxing theory. Through this theory, Liang Qichao analyzed the new order that “Zhonghuaminzu (中華民族)” sought. Liang Qichao pointed out the unstable aspects of Chinese society in the early days of the Republic of China and suggested the guoxing theory as a way to address them. He said in the guoxing theory, published in 1912, that each human being has his or her own personality, thus a nation also has personality. In other words, the fate of a nation is determined by the rise and fall of the guoxing . Liang Qichao insisted that this guoxing is not formed or extinguished in a short time, but is intangible symbol formed by people of the same bloodline sharing language and ideas for a long time. He emphasized that the unity of the citizens who are members of the nation is necessary to solidify guoxing . In other words, it is imperative for today’s nation to unite its people under the policy of “single people make up a single nation,” unlike before. by the way Most of Chinese people have “three ideas”(“ baoen 報恩,” “ mingfen 名分” and “ lifu 慮後”) in their minds, which are “made by thousands of years of inheritance and influence, and all of China’s morality has come from it, and society has been maintained by it.” Liang Qichao’s political ideas valued the nationalist state, but they did not simply stay in nationalism. His ideals were directed toward cosmopolitanism. In other words, Liang Qichao predicted that Chinese people’s consciousness cultivated under “cosmopolitanism,” which is deeply entrenched in China’s political history, will contribute greatly to the culture of all mankind. The guoxing theory, which was proposed to overcome China’s chaotic situation by freeing the Chinese people from the sense of ruin, was seeking China’s nationalism but underneath it was pursuit of path towards globalism.