民國시기 재난에서 민간신앙과 정치

Abstract

This paper analyzes the role that folk beliefs played during disasters during the Republic of China, and how the externalization of disasters combines with political objectives. In traditional Chinese society, folk beliefs were used as a means for the state to manage and control local communities. Since the modern era, the influx of Western science and technology and knowledge has led to an objective recognition of natural phenomena. Folk beliefs during the Republic of China era were criticized for superstition and unscientific practices. When a disaster occurred, it was required to respond with scientific grounds and methods, not superstition. In 1928, the Nanjing National Government abolished popular religious worship as a national policy. As a result of these measures, various deities that the people believed in lost their legal status, and traditional folk beliefs were severely withered. However, during this period, as natural disasters and war continued, the people still relied on God in various ways. The Nanjing National Government, which aimed to become a modern nation, recognized disasters as a national responsibility. The government tried to prevent and deal with disasters in a scientific way based on scientific understanding of disasters. The government has internalized disasters, recognizing that disasters are objects that humans can overcome, not genius disasters. However, due to continued disasters and lack of financial resources, the Nanjing National Government was unable to practice the internalization of disasters. Even during the period of the Nanjing National Government, disasters were still recognized as genius disasters and externalized. This allowed the government and bureaucrats to avoid responsibility, and folk beliefs still performed their former functions with the government''s acquiescence. Since the modern era, Western scientific knowledge has spread, and the Chinese government has set the goal of establishing a Western-style modern nation-state. However, folk beliefs did not fit in with this and were cured by superstition, becoming the object of overthrow.