서구중심주의의 사상사적 연원과 전개과정

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to analyze the philosophical origin and development of Eurocentrism. To do this, first of all, the author analyzes Aristotle’s Politics, which constitutes the origin of Eurocentrism, under the premise that most Western thinkers share the Orientalist assumptions in describing and evaluating social and political institutions of non- Western civilizations. Then he examines briefly the historical development of Eurocentrism, by analyzing the writings of Locke, Montesquieu, Hegel, Tocqueville, Marx, J.S. Mill, and Max Weber. In conclusion, he identifies the trinity, the inseparable combination of Christianity, capitalism and liberalism which underlines Eurocentrism, and then argues that it has been collapsed by successful capitalist development and democratization of East Asian countries, so that history has shown that it is a fictitious trinity after all.