Abstract: In the historical process of nation construction in modern China, the traditional Chinese cosmopolitanism and the debate of the civilized and the uncivilized, as historical thinking frames, still dominated Chinese thinkers in modern times. However, under the impact of the West, they had their modern variations. Cosmopolitanism, which considers Chinese civilization as the core, has been transformed to a theory of civilization which regards the West as the center. The debate of the civilized and the uncivilized, which is characterized by cultural sinocentrism, has been dissimilated as racism based on social Darwinism. Between the extreme cosmopolitanism and the extreme nationalism, there are temperate cultural nationalism and neo--cosmopolitanism. The complicated interaction and cross inlaying among them have had profound influence on the nation--state recognition in modern China.

Key words: cosmopolitanism, debate of the civilized and the uncivilized, theory of civilization, racism