“文明等级论”与近代殖民史  

"The Theory of Civilizational Hierarchy"and Modern Colonial History

作　　者：王锐 WANG Rui(East China Normal University)

机构地区：[1]华东师范大学历史系

出　　处：《中华民族共同体研究》2024年第2期64-90,M0005,M0006,共29页Journal of the Chinese Nation Studies

基　　金：国家社科青年项目“‘文明等级论’在近代中国的传播、影响与批判研究”(20CZ046)的阶段性成果。

摘　　要：近代以来东西列强的殖民扩张活动,除了运用军事与经济的手段,还高度依赖意识形态的宣传。其中,“文明等级论”就是常被使用的一种话语。以近代以来的英国、日本,以及列强的对华侵略活动为例,可以看到“文明等级论”在列强国家内部与被殖民、被侵略地区起到了不同的作用:对于前者而言,可以不断为自己的扩张行为做辩护,甚至通过“文明等级论”及其衍生品来“论证”自己这些行为的合法性。对于后者,则通过一系列带有“文明等级论”色彩的言说与实践,借助政治与军事上的支配地位,制定相应的策略,向那些被殖民、被侵略的地区宣扬这种支配状况实为天经地义、合情合理,甚至让后者相信列强之所以来到他们的国家,不是在侵略扩张,而是教化当地民众、改善当地面貌,使之能趋近“文明”。In modern times,the colonial expansion activities of Western and Eastern powers not only relied on military and economic means but also heavily relied on ideological propaganda.Among these,the"theory of civilizational hierarchy"is a discourse commonly used.Taking the aggressive activities towards China by modern countries such as Britain and Japan as well as other colonial powers as examples,we can see that the"theory of civilizational hierarchy"played different roles within the colonial powers and the colonized or invaded regions:For the former,it continuously justified its expansionist actions,and even used the"theory of civilizational hierarchy"and its derivatives to"prove"the legitimacy of these actions.For the latter,through a series of speeches and practices imbued with the colors of the"theory of civilizational hierarchy,"and with the support of political and military dominance,corresponding strategies were formulated to propagate the notion that such domination was natural,reasonable,and justifiable.They even convinced the colonized and invaded regions that the reason for the arrival of the colonial powers in their countries was not for expansion and aggression but for educating the local population and improving the local conditions,so as to bring them closer to"civilization".

关 键 词：“文明等级论” 殖民扩张 近代帝国主义国家 意识形态 

分 类 号：D033.3[政治法律—政治学] D066[历史地理—历史学] K14[历史地理—世界史]