朱子學의 조선시대 정치사상의 정체성 문제

Abstract

Historically, the demarcation lines between sino-civilization and barbarism were drawn from diverse perspectives such as geographical, racial or cultural perspectives. The neo-confucianism draws the line especially from the cultural perspective, not utilitarian but moral. Chosun dynasty, proud of herself as a sino-civilized country of neo-confucian ideology, sets confucian courtesies and moral codes as national laws of morality. In the course of time, Chosun’s self-images changes. At the time of nation building, she tries to retrieve her old reputation of sub-China since Kija by renewing herself corrupted at the end of Koryu dynasty. At her middle era, she is confident of her cultural achievement true to her reputation of sub-China. She is so confident as to critically reevaluate super-Chinese cultures. At the last era, she thinks of herself as a sole sino-civilized or super-Chinese country since mainland China has been occupied by a barbarian race. Chosun’s idea of sino-civilization was based on confucian cultural ideals, not on political realities. That’s why she can build her unique culture based on confucian cultural ideals and criticize mainland China. However may it be excellent, Chosun’s idea of sino-civilization has two drawbacks. First of all, it could have been justified not by its own cultural achievement but by the defeat of a sino-country, called Ming, by a barbarian race, called Ching. Second, it cannot free itself from old sino-centrism. There were two schools critically aware of these drawbacks. The Northern School, called Bukhakpa, tries to find new source of cultural inspiration because she has a doubt about Chosun’s cultural power. The Sungho School tries to build a new historical consciousness of nationalism deprived of old sino-centrism.