민족의 역사를 시간화하는 방식의 의미 ― 孔子紀年과 黃帝紀年을 중심으로

Abstract

This article presents an analysis on the meaning of the year numbering system as the way to mark the passage of nation's history, with focus on the Kong Zi era and the Huang Di era. This article discusses the following issues: the collapse of the Sino-centric world order and a fundamental shift in historical awareness in the late Qing; the ways of the new year numbering system and the wherefores of the Kong Zi era & the Huang Di era's popularity in the late Qing; the revival of the discourse on the Kong Zi era & the Huang Di era in the early 21st century; the differences and the similarities between 20th century & 21st century discourse on the Kong Zi era & the Huang Di era. How the years are counted in China is an important proposition pertaining to its national identity. Reformers and revolutionaries attacked the imperial system of eponymous dating using the reign name and began proposing alternatives in the late Qing. The constitutional reformers advocated the Kong Zi era, while the anti-Manchu revolutionaries advocated the Huang Di era. Today, both Kong Zi and Huang Di enjoy a renaissance with the rise of China in the 21st century. Kong Zi and Huang Di remain the most prominent symbols of the Sino-centric world. The ensuing battle over the Kong Zi era & the Huang Di era as China's own native periodization scheme becomes entangled with many issues concerning the Christian era, cultural identity, nationalism and the national identity. In conclusion, I repeat that the discourse on the year numbering system related to power and hegemony is subject to variation from time to time as the need arises.