청말 진화론 담론과 중국기독교 ― 인류 기원에 대한 담론을 중심으로 (Discourses on the theory of Evolution and Chinese Christianity in Late Qing China : Focusing on the criticisms regarding the origin of man)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 중국근현대사학회
· 수록지 정보 : 중국근현대사연구 / 67호 / 53 ~ 88페이지
· 저자명 : 민홍기

초록

This article has dealt with the discourses on Darwin’s theory of evolution which existed in Late Qing China, especially the discourses on the origin of man. The people who introduced the knowledge of the theory of evolution for the first time in China, in Late Qing China, were the missionaries of Christianity. From the early 1870’s until the mid 1890’s, these people had managed the supply of the Western natural science knowledge. They decided through what methods the knowledge of the theory of evaluation will be supplied. They sorted out the knowledge to be supplied and the knowledge to be excluded. And through this series of the process that attenuate the elements that will threaten the Christian values, the discourse power was exercised. In such a situation, the discourses on the theory of evolution in China were extremely slight.
Such a situation rapidly changed from the end of the 1890’s. The Tianyanlun by Yan Pu, which appeared at the time when the crisis consciousness of the Chinese society had arrived at the critical point, caused the massive sensations. The publication of the Tianyanlun became an opportunity. And the discourses on the theory of evaluation had greatly increased suddenly. The topics that had swept the discourses on the theory of evaluation at this time were the slogans of the Social Darwinism. These became deeply engraved in the heads of the Chinese intellectuals by being interlocked with the situation of the era of China.
The discourse on the origin of man, too, became invigorated by receiving the stimulations by the publication of the Tianyanlun. The discourses on the theory of evolution in the intellectual society of China ever since the publication of the Tianyanlun had mostly been unfolded in the direction of weakening their traditional doctrines when seen from the position of Christianity.
Because of this reason, the Chinese Christianity had intended to defend their doctrines. At this time, their strategy had been to drive the subject of the evolution and the origin of man to the contest between ‘true’ and ‘false’. And the comments on the ‘true’ and the ‘false’ of the Chinese Christianity that had appeared in this process showed where the place that they had been actually looking at was. Although it was thought that the Chinese Christianity had criticized Darwin’s theory, in fact, the actual protagonists appearing in their discourses were Spencer and the theory of social evolution and not Darwin. This tells us that the spot on the name tag of the Chinese Christianity on which the side dot will be branded was not Christianity but was China. In other words, in the environmental conditions of the China in the early 20th century, the Chinese Christianity had no choice but to look at only the domain that had been restricted with the distorted view from the beginning.
Such facts tell us what are the principles behind the operations of the discourses. The granting of the status of the ‘true’ to the diverse opinions that appear within the discourses until before the caving over of the layer of the recognition comprises, eventually, the external conditions that regulate the structures of the discourses themselves.

영어초록

This article has dealt with the discourses on Darwin’s theory of evolution which existed in Late Qing China, especially the discourses on the origin of man. The people who introduced the knowledge of the theory of evolution for the first time in China, in Late Qing China, were the missionaries of Christianity. From the early 1870’s until the mid 1890’s, these people had managed the supply of the Western natural science knowledge. They decided through what methods the knowledge of the theory of evaluation will be supplied. They sorted out the knowledge to be supplied and the knowledge to be excluded. And through this series of the process that attenuate the elements that will threaten the Christian values, the discourse power was exercised. In such a situation, the discourses on the theory of evolution in China were extremely slight.
Such a situation rapidly changed from the end of the 1890’s. The Tianyanlun by Yan Pu, which appeared at the time when the crisis consciousness of the Chinese society had arrived at the critical point, caused the massive sensations. The publication of the Tianyanlun became an opportunity. And the discourses on the theory of evaluation had greatly increased suddenly. The topics that had swept the discourses on the theory of evaluation at this time were the slogans of the Social Darwinism. These became deeply engraved in the heads of the Chinese intellectuals by being interlocked with the situation of the era of China.
The discourse on the origin of man, too, became invigorated by receiving the stimulations by the publication of the Tianyanlun. The discourses on the theory of evolution in the intellectual society of China ever since the publication of the Tianyanlun had mostly been unfolded in the direction of weakening their traditional doctrines when seen from the position of Christianity.
Because of this reason, the Chinese Christianity had intended to defend their doctrines. At this time, their strategy had been to drive the subject of the evolution and the origin of man to the contest between ‘true’ and ‘false’. And the comments on the ‘true’ and the ‘false’ of the Chinese Christianity that had appeared in this process showed where the place that they had been actually looking at was. Although it was thought that the Chinese Christianity had criticized Darwin’s theory, in fact, the actual protagonists appearing in their discourses were Spencer and the theory of social evolution and not Darwin. This tells us that the spot on the name tag of the Chinese Christianity on which the side dot will be branded was not Christianity but was China. In other words, in the environmental conditions of the China in the early 20th century, the Chinese Christianity had no choice but to look at only the domain that had been restricted with the distorted view from the beginning.
Such facts tell us what are the principles behind the operations of the discourses. The granting of the status of the ‘true’ to the diverse opinions that appear within the discourses until before the caving over of the layer of the recognition comprises, eventually, the external conditions that regulate the structures of the discourses themselves.

참고자료

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