浅析近代以来中国世界文明中心观念的演变

The Evolution of the concept of "China being the centre of the world civilization"

鸦片战争前,中国人认为中国是世界文明中心,把西方人笼统地称为"夷",即野蛮人。鸦片战争打破了中国是世界文明中心这一政治神话。在向西方学习技术、经济、制度的同时,一些中国人提出中国具有道德文化的优越性,这些优越的道德文化甚至可以拯救世界。急于恢复世界文明中心的意识或潜意识驱使康有为、孙中山、毛泽东等人做出脱离现实的改造中国的设计。中国成为世界文明中心要经过若干代人的长期努力。

Before the Opium War, Chinese people thought that China was the centre of the world civilization and foreign peopte were bar- barians. The Opium War broke this myth. Some Chinese admitted the necessity of learning science, technology, economy, military knowledge from western countries, but at the same time they thought Chinese morality had its superiority. Some Chinese were eager to get back to the centre of the world civilization. This thought drove them to take unrealistic steps to transform China. Some Chinese advo- cated China Model driven by the same thought. In order to become the centre of the world civilization, Chinese need dozen - genera- tion efforts.