CAJ | 학술논문

西方思想史上的“文明”概念在出现之初就隐含了高低、优劣的二元对立结构。这种建立在进化论基础上的文明图谱以现代西方社会为模板,在确立西方霸权地位的同时,也为全球殖民扩张找到了依据。马克·吐温对西方文明的全球化现象非常关切,对土著文化的消亡表示痛心。在1897年出版的游记《赤道环游记》中,他对西方“文明人”的野蛮行径予以痛斥,对异域文明进行了“厚描”式再现,并建议西方人摒弃那种妄自尊大的殖民心态,在文化交流中完善自身的文明社会。而这一点和当代社会对文明的理解有一定的契合之处。
서방사상사상적“문명”개념재출현지초취은함료고저、우렬적이원대립결구。저충건립재진화론기출상적문명도보이현대서방사회위모판,재학립서방패권지위적동시,야위전구식민확장조도료의거。마극·토온대서방문명적전구화현상비상관절,대토저문화적소망표시통심。재1897년출판적유기《적도배유기》중,타대서방“문명인”적야만행경여이통척,대이역문명진행료“후묘”식재현,병건의서방인병기나충망자존대적식민심태,재문화교류중완선자신적문명사회。이저일점화당대사회대문명적리해유일정적계합지처。
The concept of civilization, with its first appearance in the history of Western thought, was buih upon a structure of binary opposition between high and low, superiority and inferi- ority. This evolution-based map of civilization fixed the modern western world as the model of development, thereby confirming the western hegemony and justifying the global colonialism. Mark Twain was gravely concerned about the globalization of western civilization and grieved upon the vanishing indigenous cultures. In his 1897 travel book Following the Equator, he attacks the barbaric miscon- ducts of the so-called ＂civilized people＂, offers a thick description of the non-western civilization,and advises the westerners to discard the arrogant colonial mindset so that a perfection of their civil society can be achieved through cultural exchanges. This actually speaks to the present understanding of the concept of civilization.