만청(晩淸) 소설 속의 중국의식과 정치상상: <文明小史>를 중심으로

Abstract

This study focused on 『Wenmingxiaoshi』 written by LiBoYuan is an attempt to analysis awareness in China and the politics of imagination in the late period of Qing Dynasty when China tried to be a civilized country and set up itself as a civilized nation., The title 『Wenmingxiaoshi』 is a little history of civilization to the letter. The author, LiBoYuan, was faced with self-reality in China by eyes of others and his awareness of a reality expressed extreme sense of crisis. So he put his argument into practice such as he accepted the advanced western culture, the expansion of modern education system, the elimination superstition through Enlightenment and scientific knowledge. On the other hand, as chinese felt country’s ruination of crisis under western powers, it was possible to make new awareness and set up new concept about ‘country’ and ‘nation’. They reflected on themselves based on these new ideas. Given these factors, new awareness in China made China protect from western powers, but at the same time they adopted advanced western culture in order to build modern China. In addition, the new awareness suggested how to turn China to modern china and revive nation people from the people. One of the key politics of imagination in modern china is all of chinese are equal before the law regardless of social class and financial power. Equality before the law means both awareness which is the concept of equality conducted by the country as the highest institution and chinese rebirth with equal sovereign power. In this sense, 『Wenmingxiaoshi』, which is discussion on cultural enlightenment, awareness in China, and the politics of imagination, gives us a clue to introspect about people and nation.