상상계(imaginary)의 역사성과 동아시아 상상계의 유형

Abstract

This paper aims to set the type of the imaginary of East Asia, and deals with its essential meaning by examining the problem of the imaginary through cultural studies. Imaginary is the totality of the various elements that are the basis for the imagination to work. Various classification is possible, depending on its contents. For the classification of the type of imaginary, it is necessary to pay attention to the discussion of Gilbert Durand. He is important to consider not only the psychological and logical levels, also the empirical level. Durand's vision will suggest the possibility to configure the type of imaginary in East Asia. The imaginary of East Asia can be divided into Hwaha imaginary, Myoman imaginary and Dongyi imaginary. It is related to the cultural historic structure of the ancient East Asia. Hwaha imaginary is characterized by cosmos, logicality, realism, humanity based on the spirit of rationality, Myoman imaginary is characterized by chaos, illogicality, surrealism. And Dongyi imaginary is characterized by chaosmos. The difference between these three imaginaries comes from the difference in the perspective of transcendence. We can not find any transcendence in Hwaha imaginary, and we can find an extrinsic transcendence in Myoman imaginary. But we can find an immanent transcendence or ‘beyond-here’, in Dongyi imaginary. These imaginaries are auxiliary to each other.