周作人 자유주의 사상의 내적 논리와 맥락

Abstract

This study analyzed establishment of Zhou Zuoren's liberalism and its inner logic and context during variation period after 1930s in the back ground of China's space for thought during May Fourth Era. The study, in particular, looked into how Zhou Zuoren's liberalism established his ideological base and how he handled the reality through concrete ideological practice in the period of 1920 when various trends such as nationalism, socialism,racialism and cosmopolitanism existed while creating a space for mixed discussion. Compared to the general structure of the space for thought in China during May Fourth Era, Zhou Zuoren's liberalism thought can be considered highly active for insisting individualistic opinion and holding strongly to it after the new culture movement which extended individual freedom for individual development of society against thought mainstream of ideological radicalization and groupism. Particularly, Based on the consideration of historical situation in which China was becoming more radical and group-oriented with spread of all kinds of ‘revolution' and ‘movement’ after May Fourth Era, his choice of being a liberal intellect can be evaluated as progressive and defiant just the way it was. However, on the other hand, he tended to be on the side of ‘negative freedom' by putting the role of individuals into a passive position in therms of the relations between society and individuals. This was clearly observed in the ‘閉戶讀書' declaration in 1928 in which he defended his attitude toward life addressing the most important thing in the chaotic reality is individual survival. The problem is that the ‘閉戶讀書' declaration excessively emphasized individual survival, but took a negative attitude toward individual active role (‘fight’) against society. This automatically allowed him to remove ‘resistance’ from liberalism he had insisted and to have potential for changing to defeat logic justifying invaders' power. His logic during pro-Japan in late 1930s shows the defeat logic after all ends up defending pro-Japan. Therefore, his liberalism fell to an ideological tool for self-justification of a pro-Japanese intellect.