在諸帝國周緣活下去——台灣史中的「邊境動力」與地域主體性

To Survive on the Frontiers of Empires: “Frontier Dynamics” and Regional Subjectivity in the History of Taiwan

本文從台灣原住民墓碑上幾種不同的文字及名字，留意到台灣歷史中不斷被重新粉刷的邊境動力經驗。所謂的「邊境動力」是指帝國勢力投射在其邊境而引起的歷史性變動。台灣在近代被清帝國、大日本帝國以及戰後的世界帝國等三種不同種類的帝國勢力影響，因此說台灣位於「諸帝國邊緣」，現代台灣正是在這些不同的邊境動力斷絕與連續、破壞與繼承的反覆過程中成立。透過考察清代以來台灣社會、國家、國民形成的過程，試論台灣「在諸帝國周緣活下來」的歷史過程，同時展望面對新邊境動力的現在，台灣會如何對應。

To begin with, the discussion of the names on aborigine tombs in three or more languages signifies Taiwan’s ongoing experience of “frontier dynamics.“ Having defined the term as the historical changes brought forth by the projection of power by empires on their frontiers in places such as Taiwan, the author aims to build up three trajectories projected by the world powers in relation to Taiwanese history in succession: the Qing Empire, Japan and the U.S. That is to say, modern Taiwan’s historical position as the periphery of different empires is the key factor for her growth in the tumultuous course of disintegration, continuity, destruction and succession of various frontier dynamics. Through examination of the formation of Taiwanese society, nation and citizen since the Qing times, this paper tries to explain the response of Taiwan, firstly, in the historical development of her “survival on the frontier of empires,” and, secondly, her present challenge in the face of new frontier dynamics.