燕行使臣與西學初傳朝鮮

自十七世紀初開始，部分朝鮮入華朝貢使臣－燕行使臣在出使中國的過程中接觸到西方文化。出於對異質文化的好奇和探求，他們在求購漢譯西學書的同時，還訪問北京天主堂，並積極主動地尋求與在華西方傳教士進行直接對話，將西方文化大規模傳入朝鮮。在西方傳教士還未涉足「隱士之國」朝鮮之時，是燕行使臣的這些活動使西學從中國進一步東傳朝鮮，它構成了中韓文化交流的一個全新而特殊的內容。西學初傳朝鮮的主要推動者不是耶穌會士，而是朝鮮的燕行使臣，這是與大航海時代以來西學初傳中國和日本迥然不同的歷史現象。傳統中國對朝鮮半島社會的深刻影響由此也可以得到更深的理解。

關鍵字

燕行使臣；西學東漸；中韓文化交流

並列摘要

From the beginning of 17th century onwards, some Korean tribute envoys to Beijing began to get known the west culture in China. Stimulated by its curiosity and being eager for understanding the new knowledge of different culture, they purchased western works translated into Chinese and visited Catholic Churches in Beijing, as well as tried to get more direct contacts with the Jesuit scholars in China. By their efforts the western culture spread from China over to Korea. When China and Japan got more known western culture directly from the visiting Jesuits and Korea was still almost not visited by Jesuits and therefore was considered as ”hermit nation” by westerners in the early 17th century, it is these Korean tribute envoys that spread the first seeds of western culture in Korea after they came back from China.