본문 바로가기
  • Home

The Datong Social Thoughts in Ancient China and Its Embodiment in Novels

  • The Journal of Chinese Cultural Studies
  • 2020, (50), pp.65-82
  • DOI : 10.18212/cccs.2020..50.003
  • Publisher : The Society For Chinese Cultural Studies
  • Research Area : Humanities > Chinese Language and Literature > Chinese Literature > Chinese Culture
  • Received : October 9, 2020
  • Accepted : November 9, 2020
  • Published : November 30, 2020

HAN YUXIANG 1

1영남대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

There is such a utopian thought in Chinese culture that dreams of a better world. It is the social thought of Datong. Due to the difference in thinking between the East and the West, the Chinese people use the "Datong Society" thought more to find a solution to the realistic contradictions. At the same time, they try to use this set of theories as a guide for action to overthrow the real society and free the people from the hunger and cold and jointly establish an equal and ideal social system. For thousands of years, the Chinese have long referred to "Datong society" as the ideal of an ideal country and a better world. This kind of thinking is always reflected in the works of literati, so this paper sorts out the Datong social thoughts in ancient Chinese novels and classifies them according to their characteristics. Under the guidance of the Datong Social Thought with different emphases, in the novel also has three completely different forms of expression: a paradise with a small country and few people, a society that pursues "the highest virtue" and "the best", and a strange and fantasy fairyland blessed land. The three can be regarded as three different literary creation techniques, both true and illusion, relative reality, and unconstrained. From the origin and development of "Datong Social Thought" to the end of literature to novels, it follows an invisible clue from the fantasy of Datong society, to the experience of specific implementation plans, and finally to practice. It also contains literati romanticism thought. Although many of the fantasy of the beautiful world in the novel seems difficult to realize from the current perspective, it still does not prevent it from becoming the driving force for the progress of human society.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.