A Cultural Agony of Contemporary China: between the Egos and Tianxia(天下) Ideology

현대중국의 문화적 고뇌 : 자아와 티엔시아(천하(天下)) 이데올로기의 사이에서

China, the nation which reigns the society consisted of several ethnic groups, has been interested in universal virtues since its early eras, due to the social demand for their integration. Confucianism, therefore, traditionally has been executing this function as a transcendant world, and at present the Marxism takes its role instead. After its reformation and opening, the market economy was allowed to set in China, which means that the traditional ideology of integration comes to face the crisis occurred by new trend of the individualism which is gradually spreading. The people who make the policies and the intellectual people in China who noticed these phenomena, are trying to make measures to cope with this contradiction. Despite of their trials, they are destined to find nothing but powerlessness in front of the powerful marketing strategy of the commercialism which adroitly adapted to their measures. In this situation, the transcendant world to reach, which these people are appealing again is the totalitarian ideology that persistently has been maintained through history of China. The movie, Hero, is the one of these attempts. This paper offers you the analysis of this cultural agony of contemporary China.