5·4운동기 해외유학파의 서양학문 수용과 유통 －신문학을 중심으로－

Abstract

This study examines processes of acceptances and distributions of Western sciences throughout the New Culture Movement which Chinese studying-abroad-group propelled during the May Fourth Movement period. In the period of transition from Qing dynasty to the republic, intellectuals who learned modern sciences and experienced Western civilization through studying abroad brought up the New Culture Movement as a breakthrough for Chinese society disappointed after the Xinhai Revolution. The most rapid and specific one among several sub-movements was the literary revolution, which focused on building the literature of ordinary people through ideological revolution and writing revolution liberating from harms of feudal literature. For the literary revolution, its tool was baihuawen(白話文: plain speech writing) and its method was translating and referring Western classics. Those selected Western classics were neither for literary value nor for entertainment but for enlightenment and revolution urging Chinese people’s awakening. Translations and writings in accordance with New Literature focused on ‘humanist literature’ based on humanitarianism and on ‘realist literature’ describing all social events as they are, and emphasized liberating personality and individualism. The trend of New Literature, based on enlightenment, revolution and reality, went toward liberty and equality of all individuals and liberating personality. Indeed, the literary revolution not only achieved changes in contents, formalities, expressions, and genres, but also led the ideological revolution changing Chinese people’s morality, value system, and material civilization as a whole. From this perspective, the Western literature accepted by Chinese studying-abroad-group was the bridgehead to the modern sciences and thoughts and the key motivation bursting the literary revolution and spreading the New Culture Movement and the May Fourth Movement. Throughout the process, the concepts of liberty, equality, democracy, science, and so on, which were transplanted from the West, became common in Chinese society and became the axis of modern knowledges.