明治日本的「自由帝國主義」與臺灣統治論：從福澤諭吉到竹越與三郎

“Liberal Imperialism” in Meiji Japan and the Discourses of Taiwan under Japanese Rule: From Fukuzawa Yukichi to Takekoshi Yosaburō

本文從全球史視野，討論福澤諭吉與其所主導的《時事新報》，及在知識系譜上與福澤有所關聯的竹越與三郎如何論述臺灣和殖民統治臺灣的意義等問題。他們如歐洲的自由帝國主義者，在日本國內政治方面雖持自由主義觀點，但在對外政策、殖民地政策方面發表帝國主義式言論。歐洲的進步使歐洲的許多自由主義者肯定帝國的擴張。我們可看到許多明治日本的自由派知識人大抵也有類似看法，儘管他們自身也非歐洲人。但歐洲自由主義者和本文所論的明治日本自由主義者對於其殖民地的看法還是有差異，其間的關聯和差異將是本論文討論的問題。

The article begins with thorough examinations of the views of Fukuzawa Yukichi, other authors of Jiji Shinpō (Current Events) and Takekoshi Yosaburō on what Taiwan meant to Japan in the Meiji Era and proceeds to explore their discourses on how to rule Taiwan in the context of global history. They were like European Liberal Imperialists, tending to discuss issues of domestic politics from the point of view of liberalism; however, on the other side, they also expressed their opinions from the perspective of imperialism in foreign policies. In fact, success of the European empires prompted the European liberals to believe that they did not need to apply their moral and political standards to the non-European, and the liberals of the Meiji period upheld the same belief, although they were also non-Europeans. However, some differences remain in their views on colonial policies, and this article therefore showcases these similarities and differences between the two groups.