中国社会进化论的文明战略以及文化战略

Abstract

Darwinism was introduced on full scale in China by Yen Fu(严复). Stimulated by the loss of the Sino-Japanese War(1894～95), he translated Huxley's Evolution and Ethics into TianYanLun(天演论). Huxley's Evolution and Ethics recognizes Cosmic process and ethical process in strictly different sense. Yen Fu re-interpreted quite a lot of Huxley's works in the standpoint of Spencer's social-Darwinism. Spencer's social-Darwinism applies Darwin's theory on natural phenomena to the human society. The main idea here is the survival of the fittest. Yen Fu believed that social-Darwinism could stir a sense of crisis between the intellectuals of the time. In reality, TianYanLun(天演论) was accepted by most intellectuals in China, and allowed the opportunity to understand the world objectively. Most of the theories of reformation and revolution that came about at the turn of the century bases themselves on social-Darwinism. After Yen Fu's introduction, Darwinism was developed in two stages. The first stage was of ‘the introduction of Darwinism and interpretation based on nationalism’. The most important philosophers of this stage were Yen Fu and Liang Qi-chao(梁启超). The second stage was of ‘the development and expention of Darwinism’. Zhang Bing-lin(章炳麟) and Lu Xun(鲁迅) can be considered to represent the philosophers of the stage. Yen Fu and Liang Qi-chao emphasized the importance of strengthening a state. This was because he believed that the construction of a modern state as a center of correspondence against the West was necessary. Thus, the existence of a citizen in the judicial sense was required. That was the ‘XinMin(新民)’ overcame by the state of ‘BuMin(部民)’. After the failure of the ‘BianFa(变法) movement’ Liang Qi-chao thought that the reformation should be based on the awakening of the citizens. He also thought that in order to do so, the main body of evolution had to be created. Yet, the citizens in the situation where ‘MinZhi’ was still not developed was considered to be only simple cells in the system of state. In the realistic view, the state was understood to be the main body of evolution. Here, Darwinism and the theory of the organic state adheres. In Darwinism of Yen Fu and Liang Qi-chao, the main body of evolution transformed from TianXia’ to ‘society’, and furthermore to ‘state’. To Zhang Bing-lin and Lu Xun, the main body of evolution are the nation and the people. As one nation can not be ruled by another, it was understood that an individual should not be ruled by neither the state nor another individual. Although such an understanding is expressed in the language of Darwinism, in reality it can be considered as a fundamental criticism on social-Darwinism. In wrapping up the development of Darwinism in China, the subject of evolution can be said to progress eventually from ‘TianXia’→ state → nation → people.