由于科学地理知识的贫乏 ,我国自古就有“中国者 ,中央之国也”的传统观念 ,这种妄自尊大心理成为有清一代奉行闭关锁国政策的根源所在。明清时期 ,利玛窦等西方传教士所带来的地图、地理著作及创办报刊对天文地理知识的介绍 ,挑战了中国自古有之的“天朝中土”观念。另一方面 ,鸦片战争前后 ,一批具有先进眼光的志士仁人如林则徐、魏源等 ,在传教士所带来的新信息新观念的影响之下 ,也开始从地理图志入手 ,寻求中国的自强之策。他们从注意地理、历史的差异进而反思政治体制的不同 ,向国人灌输了一种迥异于中国传统的西方政治制度 ,由此 ,西方的“国家”观念开始动摇中国传统的“王朝”思想。近代国家观念的形成 ,为中国的近代化历程准备了思想观念层面的变革基础。 Due to the paucity of scientific and geography knowledge, our country has always had the traditional concept of “China and the Central Country” since ancient times. This arrogant psychology has become the root cause of the policy of pursuing a closed-door policy of the Qing Dynasty. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, maps, geographical writings and the introduction of geographies by Western missionaries such as Matteo Ricci and others in the founding of newspapers and magazines challenged the ancient concept of “mid-heaven and earth” in China. On the other hand, before and after the Opium War, a group of cautious people with advanced vision, such as Lin Zexu and Wei Yuan, began to work on the geo-graphic plan to seek China’s Self-improvement strategy. They pay attention to the differences of geography and history and then reflect on the differences of political system, so as to instill a Western political system that is different from Chinese tradition. Thus, the concept of “state” in the West began to shake the traditional “dynasty” thought of China. The formation of the concept of a nation in modern times prepares the basis for the change in the ideological and conceptual aspects of China’s modernization process.