明治維新前日本的帝國擴張正當性建構初探：從歷史發展、社會建構與地緣戰略視角下的理解

1894年的「甲午戰爭」是解決中日「雙雄並立」困局的途徑，然而自古以來，東北亞的地緣競逐本質未曾改變，現今，「兩強」趨勢再現，是否將再度出現戰爭，是地緣政治學界所關切。但單純的理論分析途徑無法完全解釋並分析未來，我們有必要返回歷史的現場，探索日本在帝國形成之初，如何在思想與認知上，脫離傳統華夷秩序的影響，以及如何建構其特有的大和文明認同？如何在多年的儒家思想背景下，學習移植西方文化的經驗，攝取西方器物文化、完成產業革命，建構「明治維新」的巨大變革？如何以這樣的認知建構，進而發展出帝國擴張的正當性？如此，才能更深入問題的核心，作為理解中日衝突本質、甚至成為預測情勢發展的基礎。

關鍵字

日本帝國；正當性建構；東北亞地緣權力競逐；唐化；西化

並列摘要

The first Sino-Japanese War in 1894 has been regarded as the solution to the conflict between the Ching Dynasty and the Japanese Empire. However, the nature of the geopolitical competition between Japan and China has not changed since ancient periods. As this competition resurfaces once again, the rest of the world contemplates the question: 'Will there be another war'? Explaining and analysing the future via a theoretical approach is difficult. Thus, returning to the historical context is necessary to discover how the Japanese Empire weakened the influence of the traditional 'tributary system' and how the Yamato civilisation was established. Understanding how the Japanese Empire learned from Western cultures under the influence of Confucianism, absorbed Western cultural artefacts, completed the industrial revolution and created the Meiji Restoration is important. Furthermore, understanding how the Japanese Empire constructed, developed and justified the expansion of the Empire is likewise essential. By understanding these core issues, we can understand the nature of the conflict between China and Japan and subsequently develop the ability to anticipate future developments between the two countries.