중국적 근대성의 한 테제 “아이를 구하라” 再讀 ― 우생학적 기획으로 읽기

Abstract

One of the most important issues in the Chinese modernity is the Lu Xun's voice, “save children!” This has been interpreted from the view of social-evolutionism or enlightenment. Yet, these interpretations are not enough to explain the gloomy mood in that voice. In this article, the blue atmosphere in Lu Xun's voice is examined from the view of Eugenics related to social-degeneration theory. Eugenics had influence on almost all literati in the early modern China. They advocated sterilization or birth-control for the survival of Chinese race. We could feel an obsession with genetic inheritance and degeneration of the fit from Lu Xun's novel. Lu Xun asked himself what is the most important element in the formation of character? In this question, even though he was in trouble between environment and heredity, it seems that he agreed to the importance of heredity after all. Besides, he depicted that the unfit, unhealthy people mentally or physically, continuously have eaten the fit, wholesome people. The belief that the unfit wins against the fit in a struggle for existence is related to so-called “degeneration” theory. Of course, it is necessary to point up that Lu Xun criticized conservative Eugenics suggesting the continuity of class and blood by a weld on fatalism. In spite of this, he seems to believe that Eugenics is one field of “science.”