중화주의는 과연 패권적인가?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the nature of the so-called Sino-centrism. I first point out that the Sino-centrism has double meanings and then try to show that the Sino-centrism which we view as hegemonialism, in fact, refer to the realistic Sino-centrism which became deteriorated during the Han dynasty. Sino-centrism first appeared as rationalistic and harmonious one which was based on Confucian philosophy of Confucius and Mencius, but in Han dynasty it also came to have exclusive and hegemonical character due to its combination with the extraneous Legalism. This is why Sino-centrism, historically, has been viewed as suggesting not only open and universal world order, but also exclusive and hegemonical world order. In this paper, we try to illuminate the philosophical ground of how the Sino- centrism has come to have such double meanings and then criticize the hegemonical Sino-centrism by claiming that real Sino-centrism was nothing but the idealistic Sino-centrism established by Confucius and Mencius.