近代西方“文明等级论”的基本特征与话语实践——兼论其对于中国的影响

The Basic Feature and Discourse Practice of Modern Western“Civilization Hierarchy”:Also on Its Impact on China

近代以来西方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。在这其中,“文明等级论”就是常被使用的一种话语。它强调西方国家是“文明国家”,同时将其他国家与地区按照“半文明”与“不文明”进行划分,进而宣称这些国家和地区要想臻于文明之境,必须心安理得地接受西方国家的殖民。这一说辞旨在文饰、美化西方列强的殖民活动,同时让被殖民地区俯首帖耳。“文明等级论”对近代中国也产生了颇为明显的影响,让不少人产生一种高度扭曲的世界认知,严重妨碍中国人正确认识与分析中外形势。

Besides the military and economical methods,the colonization of Western Great Powers since modern times was highly dependent on ideology propaganda.In this context,the“Civilization Hierarchy”was a commonly used discourse.It emphasized that Western countries were civilized countries and divide other countries and regions into“semi-civilized”and“uncivilized”ones.In the meantime,they claimed that only by being colonized by Western countries with no qualms could the latter countries and regions be civilized.This rhetoric aimed at decorating and prettifying the colonization of Western Great Powers,and make those colonized areas servile.“Civilization Hierarchy”also had a significant impact on modern China,which generated a highly distorted world cognition in many people’s minds and severely hindered the Chinese people from understanding and analyzing the Chinese and foreign situation correctly.