본고는 근대 중국에서 활동한 탄쓰퉁(譚嗣同), 장타이옌(章太炎), 루쉰(魯迅) 세 사람이 ‘무(無)’라는 개념을 통해서 보여준 비판 철학을 분석한다. 세 사람의 비판 철학은 각각 봉건비판, 근대비판, 존재비판으로 규정할 수 있다. 탄쓰퉁은 누구보다도 봉건사회의 병폐를 통감했고, 봉건적 사회관계를 비판하고 또한 사회 변혁을 행하는 이론 도구로 ‘무’나‘무아’라는 개념을 사용했다. 그는 이 개념에서 인간 평등과 혁명 정신을 찾고자 했다. 장타이옌은 서구 근대가 창안한 자본주의나 국가와 같은제도와 개념을 비판하는 도구로 ‘무’를 사용했다. 문학가로서 루쉰은 『들풀』에서 인간 존재의 무근거를 폭로할 뿐만 아니라 희망과 절망을 이중으로 부정한다. 그의 논리는 용수가 『중론』에서 행한 이중부정으로서 공(空) 개념과 유사하다.

This paper analyzes the critical philosophy of Tan Sitong, Zhang Taiyan, and Lu Xun, one which they deployed through the concept of "non-being (無)." In this paper, the critical philosophy of these three intellectuals are respectively defined as the criticism of feudalism, criticism of modern times, and the criticism of existence. Tan Sitong keenly realized the maladies of feudal society, criticized feudal relationship, and used the concept of non-being or selflessness as the theoretical tool that could bring about the social reform. He sought the human equality and revolutionary spirit in those concepts. Zhang Taiyan used the notion of non-being as the critical means, with which he criticized the institutions or concepts created by the Western modernity such as capitalism or nation. As a literatus, Lu Xun exposed the baselessness of human existence in his prose poetry collection, Wild Grass(野草). He revealed the weakness of human beings who are fundamentally devoid of the existential basis. He does not stop at that, but goes as far as to negate the ideas of hope and despair altogether, which, in his view, have toyed with human beings for a long time. He made use of a logic that is similar to that of double negation which was used by Nagarjuna when he was explaining the concept of sunya (空, emptiness) in the Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.