Chinese Body and Western Use Theory - Chinese Body and Western Use Theory

The basic idea of ​​the Westernization Movement (1860-90) at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Having experienced the overwhelming military power of the West during the Opium Wars, the Arrow War, and the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion, China saw a movement among enlightened bureaucrats and intellectuals to adopt Western civilization in order to enrich the country and strengthen its military (Westernization Movement). In order to rationalize the introduction of Western civilization in response to the strong forces of anti-barbarians and adherence to tradition that persisted at the time, they argued that traditional Chinese civilization was the "body" (essence, fundamental principles) and Western civilization was merely "use" (practical application) (Chinese learning is the body, Western learning is the use), and therefore the introduction of Western civilization would not undermine the Chinese way, but on the contrary, it would help to preserve the lineage of the sages by enriching the country and strengthening its military. This is the so-called theory of Chinese body and Western use. This logic paved the way for the adoption of Western civilization, and later expanded beyond military technology to include reforms to the administrative and educational systems. However, as the movement for civil rights gained prominence, it came to play a role in suppressing this, with the view that the essence of the "middle school" was the way of the emperor and his subject.

[Matsuyuki Maruyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

清(しん)末の洋務運動（1860～90）の基本思想。アヘン戦争、アロー戦争、太平天国鎮圧の過程で西欧の圧倒的武力を体験した中国では、開明的な官僚や知識人の間に、西洋文明を摂取して富国強兵を図ろうとする動きが起こった（洋務運動）。彼らは、当時根強く残っていた夷狄(いてき)排撃・伝統固守の勢力に対して、西洋文明導入を合理化するために、中華の伝統文明が「体」（本体、根本理念）であり、西洋文明は「用」（実用、応用）にすぎず（中学為体、西学為用）、したがって、これを導入することは中華の道を損なうものではなく、反対にこれによって富国強兵を実現することで聖賢の道統を保持できると主張した。これがいわゆる中体西用論である。この論理は西洋文明摂取に大きく道を開き、のちには軍事技術にとどまらず、行政・教育制度の改革にまで拡大されたが、やがて民権論が台頭してくると、君臣の道こそ「中学」の精髄であるとしてこれを抑圧する役割を担うようになった。

［丸山松幸］

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