In the study of history, as our concern about nationalism increases recently, Shin Chae-ho's nationalism and historians' study about his nationalism are on the increase. Some seek the the origin of Korea's recent history from Danje's Korean nationalis...
In the study of history, as our concern about nationalism increases recently, Shin Chae-ho's nationalism and historians' study about his nationalism are on the increase. Some seek the the origin of Korea's recent history from Danje's Korean nationalism.
The systematic view about Danje's historical theory is expressed in his ancient Korean historical concept and we can't understand his historical theory without this point. But our study on Danje's ancient Korean history has been made light of because many historians studied Korean history only in the light of the spirit for inspiring national independence and conquering our opinion we have in the light of colonialism. In this respect I am going to survey Danje's conception of ancient Korean history.
In the early 20th century, Koreans' desire fore self independence and self-reliance of national defense began to spring up in Korea under the contest of imperialistic nations for colonizations. In this situation, the theory of Bounbub-jakang-non (變法自强論) proposed by a Chinese thinker, Yang Ke-cho gave a great influence of Danje.
Thus Danje's nationalistic heroism made its appearance under Yang's influence, namely Danje established his theory of national salvation by self effort on the basis of heroism and he wrote about an ancient famous Korean general Unchi Mun-dok and Admiral Yi sun-sin. Also he derived the way of the defense of imperialistic invasion from his nationalism, also sought the way of prosperity of our nation from his nationalism. Thus we car see that Danje's thought on our ancient history is based on the spirit of self-reliance and self-realization against the age of restoration of national power. Danje thought that our ancient history began the criticism on the past traditional ancient history.
He also transfered the cause of the extinction of Korean old history to our historian rather than the destruction in the invasion or civil war. That is, He criticized bitterly that Kim Busig concealed all the historic books so that he might take the authority about "Samkugsa-gi" (三國史記).
He also criticized traditional confucian books such as Samkug-sagi as dependency. While he tried to establish a self-reliant history by means of opposing the confucian history. Danje opposed the confucian history such as -an ancient history- Haedonggo-gi(海東古記) Samhango-gi(三韓古記) Sinlago-gi(新羅古記) Dangun-gi(檀君記), an unofficial history, Sugwagiab-nog(西廓雜錄) Haesangjab-nog(海上雜錄) especially he developed the Nang's Thought(郎家思想) he had studied it very much. He thought that the traditional independence, Nang's Thought was "Ego", and the untraditional thought, the worship of power was "Non-ego."
His historical system enlarged by means of his Nang's Thought. He not only reconstructed Korean ancient history but also established ancient historical system, say, Dangun's tradition succeeding to Buyeo, Koguryeo. He embodied the self-reliant independant historical spirits by mean of systematizing ancient history of Buyeo, Koguryeo and Koguryeo's struggle spirits for development It is important that Danje's ancient power and systematizing ancient history being based on Nang's Thought, consists of the subjective conception on the national history and the theory of recent history and he danied completely the history from Japanese colonial view points.
Danje's ancient historical thought, which is based on the subjective spirit of national history, independence, the spirit of self-reliance, consists of the recent theory of our nation against the thought of worship of the powerful. Upon the theory, which is different basically from existed history, also in the historical material, he collected ancient historical material and an unofficial history and Nang's Thought in addition to an official history and he proved all above things, finally he systematized Korean ancient history. but we don't think, his theory is all affirmative.
He is too subjective and exaggerative and dogmatic in the historical material and modified language. By the way, Danje's ancient historical thought revealed a struggle History between "Ego" and "Non-ego" promising a teritorial expansion and old-restoration. He made up many struggling, progressive and revolutionary heros by means of an inner struggle and competition of a nation. Therefore, we may probably criticized bitterly his theory from the point of possibility of rationalism on the imperialistic invasion.