Sin Chae-ho, historical science and nationalism (On the origin of Korean historiography)

D.E. Martynov^*, A.A. Alikberova^**

Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420008 Russia

E-mail: ^*dmitrymartynov80@mail.ru, ^**alfiakasimova@gmail.com

Received June 28, 2018

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Abstract

The paper is devoted to the historical works of the outstanding Korean enlightener Sin Chae-ho (1880–1936). His position was fundamentally uncompromising; after the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, he never came back to its territory. In the period of 1905–1910, he published a number of historical works in which he outlined his own methodology. As an activist of the Korean liberation movement, Sin Chae-ho was an apologist for nationalist historiography. He regarded the historical process as a struggle between “we” and “not-we” and the nation as a whole was recognized as its subject. Its main task was the awakening of the national spirit, the awakening of the Korean nation, and the search for its deep historical roots and the independence of the history of Korea from the history of China. In line with the theses on the struggle of races, Sin Chae-ho based his ideas on the theories by the outstanding Chinese historian Liang Qichao (1873–1929) about the struggle between “historical” and “non-historical” nations. An indicator of the attitude toward historical people is external expansion. However, Koreans were unique, because they are directed outward against the traitors of the homeland and the “universalists” that consistently suppressed the national spirit. In modern Korea, Sin Chae-ho is recognized as one of the founders of national historiography; Lee Ki-baik creatively developed many of his views.

Keywords: Korean History, Korea’s Historiography, Sin Chae-ho, Lee Ki-baik, Liang Qichao, Expansionism, Colonialism, Gojoseon, Nationalism

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For citation: Martynov D.E., Alikberova A.A. Sin Chae-ho, historical science and nationalism (On the origin of Korean historiography). Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2018, vol. 160, no. 6, pp. 1487–1498. (In Russian)

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