미수(眉叟) 허목(許穆)의 인의관(仁義觀)에 관한 고찰

Abstract

Heo Mok(許穆) presents ‘the values by the Humanity and Righteousness’ as one of ‘the Moral principle of the Spring and Autumn Annals(春秋大義)’. But the term ‘the Humanity and Righteousness(仁義)’ does not exist in 『The Spring and Autumn Annals(春秋)』. Of course, it does not exist in 『Zuo’s Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals(春秋左氏傳)』 and 『The Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals(春秋公羊傳)』, too. It appeared only once in 『The Guliang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals(春秋穀梁傳)』. This fact suggests that the category of ‘the Humanity and Righteousness’ did not receive attention when 『The Spring and Autumn Annals』 was being written. The core of Confucius’ ideology, ‘the Humanity(仁)’ can be defined as ‘the human virtues’, and the core of Mencius’ ideology, ‘the Righteousness(義)’ can be defined as ‘the obligation for human virtues’. The method of expressing Confucian virtues as ‘the Humanity, Righteousness, Propriety, and Wisdom(仁義禮智)’ is first seen in 『Mencius』, and Mencius abbreviated it again ‘the Humanity and Righteousness’. At that time, ‘the Humanity and Righteousness’ becomes ‘the obligation to practice for human virtue’. Later, by Dong Jungseo(董仲舒), ‘the Humanity and Righteousness’ was first accepted as a law enacted by 『The Spring and Autumn Annals』. And by Neo Confucian scholars, ‘the value criteria by the Humanity and Righteousness’ has been fully established as one of the Moral principle of the Spring and Autumn Annals. The value criteria by the Humanity and Righteousness by Heo Mok, covers all of these various discussions. It serves as a criteria for evaluating the human virtues. In Heo Mok’s ideology, it has been extended to regions, countries, history and functions as a criteria for value judgment. Above all, it is also acting on his administrative policy. It is the achievement of ‘the Humanity and Righteousness’ through practice of the ritual. The human virtues are extremely realistic and can be varied in various ways in concrete and practical ways. For example, the appearance of the Humanity presented in the conversation Confucius had with his disciples can still function at the present. Heo Mok as a statesman and a thinker, could advocate ‘the Humanity and Righteousness’, that because he understood that the human virtues do not change despite the changes in time and space. Above all, it is understood that he dreamed of living with the people of his time and living based on the human virtues.