@article{ART002018437},
author={Jinmook Choi},
title={The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects},
journal={Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University},
issn={1598-3021},
year={2015},
volume={72},
number={3},
pages={13-44},
doi={10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13}
TY - JOUR
AU - Jinmook Choi
TI - The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects
JO - Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University
PY - 2015
VL - 72
IS - 3
PB - Institute of Humanities, Seoul National University
SP - 13
EP - 44
SN - 1598-3021
AB - This paper examines from an ideological perspective whether or not it is possible to call the ancient society of China an "empire", which has so far been commonly the case. Since it was ruled by an emperor, ancient China is an empire (帝國) in a literal sense, but the question posed by this paper is whether or not the translated Western term of "empire" is an equally appropriate name. Also, if ancient China was indeed such an empire, this paper seeks to address the problem of how many empire-like traits it had, and what type of empire it was.
From the perspective of ideology, the thought of dayitong (大一統) won over in the end in the Qin and Han dynasties, so that ancient China in actuality appeared in the shape of a united nation. This ancient nation considered tienxia (天下) to be the ideologically appropriate and necessary domain of rule. Slogans such as tianxiayijia (天下一家) or jiatianxia (家 天下) were ideological devices that tied the united nation into one culturally and ideologically homogeneous common empire. At the same time, Confucianism as an integrating philosophy did not stop at traditional family ethics, but developed into an ethics of society and nation. As a result, ancient China can be classified within the translated term of "empire" in terms of its expansion of territory and the fact that it extended itself on the basis of ethnicity, culture, and homongeneity.
KW - Empire;Middle kingdom;Dayitong;Tienxiayijia;Confucianism
DO - 10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
ER -
Jinmook Choi. (2015). The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects. Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University, 72(3), 13-44.
Jinmook Choi. 2015, "The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects", Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University, vol.72, no.3 pp.13-44. Available from: doi:10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
Jinmook Choi "The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects" Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University 72.3 pp.13-44 (2015) : 13.
Jinmook Choi. The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects. 2015; 72(3), 13-44. Available from: doi:10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
Jinmook Choi. "The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects" Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University 72, no.3 (2015) : 13-44.doi: 10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
Jinmook Choi. The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects. Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University, 72(3), 13-44. doi: 10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
Jinmook Choi. The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects. Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University. 2015; 72(3) 13-44. doi: 10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
Jinmook Choi. The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects. 2015; 72(3), 13-44. Available from: doi:10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
Jinmook Choi. "The Features of “Empire” in Ancient China - An Examination of Ideological Aspects" Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University 72, no.3 (2015) : 13-44.doi: 10.17326/jhsnu.72.3.201508.13
