신문화 운동기 중국 지식인의 종교논쟁 (Chinese Intellects’ Religious Debates during the New Culture Movement)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 중국근현대사학회
· 수록지 정보 : 중국근현대사연구 / 92호 / 23 ~ 53페이지
· 저자명 : 이재령

초록

This paper is to synthetically understand the analysis of intellects’ perception on religious studies and Christianity during the New Culture Movement which became the theoretical basement of the 1920’s anti-Christianity movement. As the revival of Confucianism during Yuan Shikai’s reign became active, opposition from Christianity and other religious circles immediately intensified. Students and intellects baptized from western sciences and thoughts refused Confucianism as state religion and claimed anti-religion. Through New Youths, Young China, Life, and so on, religious debates of the period can be grasped.
Marxists defined religions as fantasies of future world and as opium of suppressed people, and asserted abolishment of them. Anarchists perceived religions as a kind of authoritative systems, and discerned that they infringed sciences and disturbed free developments of individual human beings. Scientism advocated that as all kinds of phenomena and problems among mankinds and in societies could be resolved within sciences, sciences should replace religions. Such anti-religious trends arose from opposition against Confucianism as state religion, and rapidly spread out within the upsurge of nationalism and anti-imperialism.
Regarding religions, Liang Qichao and Cai Yuanpei･Chen Duxiu differed in their opinions by pros and cons, but were same in the point in which they understood religions as productions of emotions. Cai Yuanpei, the naysayer, separated religions from the boundaries of morals and education, and replaced them with aesthetic education. Chen Duxiu recognized the greatness and existence of Jesus from the emotional perspective excluding the sacred, and cultivated deep-seated affection by himself. Liu Boming･Liang Shumíng･Tu Xiaoshi who were friendly toward religions claimed that the essence of religions as a transcendental inner tendency is placed in each individual’s mind, and that it ought to be cultivated and guided. At the same time, they saw that a religion can be a competence maintaining social orders and cultural spirits. For the result from the fact that western science and ration overwhelmed hereditary Confucian tradition, the assertion that science should replace religion became fierce. Hu Shi with a strong atheistic tendency admired Jesus, but he respected merely his personality and achievements, and Christianity was not his religion. Chen Duxiu also fiercely criticized the Confucian tradition, saying that Jesus' personality is admirable, but Christian doctrine is unreliable on scientific grounds.
Among Chinese intellects in the early 20th century, science gradually became an icon, it became hard to accept the value of religions’ existence within the trust on all-mighty of science. Youths and students thought that all religions were unscientific superstitions, and that as religions deprived human-beings’ rational capabilities and restrained liberty, so they were the biggest obstacles against humans’ progress. Regarding such all-mightiness of science, there were warnings and criticisms from Ling Qichao, but they did not show much power. The religious debates during the New Culture Movement can be considered as the victory of science. The status of science after the establishment of the Republic of China was never doubtable. Nevertheless, through this debate Chinese intellects could cultivate perceptions on religions and the Mystic Learning, and came to be incapable to unilaterally underestimate or to lightly judge religions. Also, church leaders came to keep an eye on the turbulent reality of China and to actively respond toward later issues of anti-religion and anti-Christianity.

영어초록

This paper is to synthetically understand the analysis of intellects’ perception on religious studies and Christianity during the New Culture Movement which became the theoretical basement of the 1920’s anti-Christianity movement. As the revival of Confucianism during Yuan Shikai’s reign became active, opposition from Christianity and other religious circles immediately intensified. Students and intellects baptized from western sciences and thoughts refused Confucianism as state religion and claimed anti-religion. Through New Youths, Young China, Life, and so on, religious debates of the period can be grasped.
Marxists defined religions as fantasies of future world and as opium of suppressed people, and asserted abolishment of them. Anarchists perceived religions as a kind of authoritative systems, and discerned that they infringed sciences and disturbed free developments of individual human beings. Scientism advocated that as all kinds of phenomena and problems among mankinds and in societies could be resolved within sciences, sciences should replace religions. Such anti-religious trends arose from opposition against Confucianism as state religion, and rapidly spread out within the upsurge of nationalism and anti-imperialism.
Regarding religions, Liang Qichao and Cai Yuanpei･Chen Duxiu differed in their opinions by pros and cons, but were same in the point in which they understood religions as productions of emotions. Cai Yuanpei, the naysayer, separated religions from the boundaries of morals and education, and replaced them with aesthetic education. Chen Duxiu recognized the greatness and existence of Jesus from the emotional perspective excluding the sacred, and cultivated deep-seated affection by himself. Liu Boming･Liang Shumíng･Tu Xiaoshi who were friendly toward religions claimed that the essence of religions as a transcendental inner tendency is placed in each individual’s mind, and that it ought to be cultivated and guided. At the same time, they saw that a religion can be a competence maintaining social orders and cultural spirits. For the result from the fact that western science and ration overwhelmed hereditary Confucian tradition, the assertion that science should replace religion became fierce. Hu Shi with a strong atheistic tendency admired Jesus, but he respected merely his personality and achievements, and Christianity was not his religion. Chen Duxiu also fiercely criticized the Confucian tradition, saying that Jesus' personality is admirable, but Christian doctrine is unreliable on scientific grounds.
Among Chinese intellects in the early 20th century, science gradually became an icon, it became hard to accept the value of religions’ existence within the trust on all-mighty of science. Youths and students thought that all religions were unscientific superstitions, and that as religions deprived human-beings’ rational capabilities and restrained liberty, so they were the biggest obstacles against humans’ progress. Regarding such all-mightiness of science, there were warnings and criticisms from Ling Qichao, but they did not show much power. The religious debates during the New Culture Movement can be considered as the victory of science. The status of science after the establishment of the Republic of China was never doubtable. Nevertheless, through this debate Chinese intellects could cultivate perceptions on religions and the Mystic Learning, and came to be incapable to unilaterally underestimate or to lightly judge religions. Also, church leaders came to keep an eye on the turbulent reality of China and to actively respond toward later issues of anti-religion and anti-Christianity.

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