元天錫의 역사의식과 儒佛道 삼교관

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the historical consciousness and view of the three religions (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism) of Won Cheon Seok who lived a period of historical transition from the end of the Goryeo Dynasty to the early Joseon Dynasty. Actively speaking for the public in his time and having the same attitude as the Neo-Confucian scholars in the end of Goryeo Dynasty, he kept criticizing the abuse of the power by powerful families who made the people fall into a state of distress and misery. He believed the dispatch of troops to conquer the Yodong region as a great opportunity to boost the valiant spirit of his country; however, the reality was quite opposite to his expectation as Lee Seong Gye had withdrawn the army troops at the Wihwado causing a great risk to his country. He took a very hard line stance against what Lee Seong Gye did. Although he was a Confucian scholar, he did not ignore Buddhism and Taoism and understood that after all the three religions were based on the same principle. His deep understanding of Buddhism and Taoism as well as Confucianism helped him to make sense of Confucianism even further. He was able to sublimate the worldly anguish coming from the Confucian thinking system by indulging himself deeply into the world view of Buddhism and Taoism. In the end, his view on the three religions was based on the idea that they taught the same principle. His view of the three religions with transactional features has a huge implication for the contemporary society in which various values and multiple cultures coexist and have more common grounds.