안중근의 서양 인식

Ahn Jung-geun’s Western Recognition

1897년 1월 천주교에 입교 이전 안중근은 주교 성리학적 세계관을 갖고 있었다. 천주교에 입교한 이후 그의 인생관과 세계관은 많은 변화가 있었다. 그는 주체적으로 학습하여 천주교를 수용하였다. 안중근의 서양 인식은 주창한 문명과 민권의식은 천주교의 영향과 『황성신문』 등 당시 조류 속에서 형성되었다. 특히 그는 세계의 현실을 ‘민족 세계’로 인식하였다. 안중근은 세계를 서양과 동양으로 구분하고 서양을 침략세력으로 동양을 평화세력으로 보았다. 이 점에서 종교성을 바탕으로 한 그의 「동양평화론」은 도덕적으로 몰락한 서양의 침략에서 벗어나 동양평화를 담보할 구체적인 방안이라고 평가된다. 안중근의 서양 인식은 인종론에 따른 시각에서 평가받기도 한다. 하지만 그는 평화회의를 담보할 주체로 로마 교황을 제시하였다. 이 점에서 그가 인종론적 시각에서 서양을 인식하였다고는 단정할 수는 없다. 오히려 그는 ‘도덕 세계’ 구축이라는 철학에서 서양을 인식하고 평가하였다고 해야 할 것이다.

Before joining the Catholic Church in January 1897, Ahn Jung-geun had a Confucian world view. Since joining the Catholic Church, his outlook on life and world has changed a lot. Although he became a Catholic, he did not necessarily follow Catholicism. He accepted Catholicism Rationally. This is the result of Ahn’s self-learning of Catholicism. Ahn’s perception of the West was formed through The western Catholic Missionaries such as Gustave-Charles-Marie Mutel, and the media such as Hwangseong Newspaper. The civilization and civil rights consciousness he advocated was formed in the influence of Catholicism and the tide at that time. His national consciousness was acquired through clashes with Western Catholic Missionaries. In particular, he recognized the reality of the world as the ‘national world.’ As such, Ahn has expanded and developed civil rights and national consciousness, focusing on civil rights and peoples. Ahn’s “ethnic world” of the time means that countries around the world compete for the benefit of the homeland. Therefore, Korea should also compete with other countries around the world, putting the interests of the Korean people first. He also called for the unity of Korea, China and Japan on the basis of absolute independence to prevent Western aggression. In this regard, his “Eastern Peace Theory,” based on his religious character, is regarded as a concrete measure to ensure Oriental peace, free from Western fallen morally. Ahn’s perception of the West is also evaluated in terms of racial perspective. However, it is not conclusive that the Pope recognized the West from a racist point of view, given that he presented the peace conference as a guarantor. Rather, it should be said that they recognized and evaluated the West from the perspective of establishing a “moral world.” As such, he clearly grasped the imperial character of the West and suggested a way for the East to go (building a moral world and settling peace). Park Eun-sik’s assessment that Ahn Jung-geun has eyes that penetrate the East and the West is largely based on his Western perception.