공자 詩論과 『詩』의 효용성 - 『論語』를 중심으로

Abstract

According to 『Analects』 that Confucius taught his disciples based on poetry, calligraphy, rite, and music (『Historical Records – Distinguished Family of Confucius』) and considered the 『Book of Odes』, 『Book of Documents』, and keeping manners (“Confucius always talked about poetry, documents, and practicing manners.’ 『Analects – Transmission』), it indicates that he had profound interest in 『Poetry』 and ‘education through poetry.’ This study divided and systematized the criticism of the poems mentioned by Confucius according to the academic level of his disciples or according to circumstances and needs based on the 『Poetry』 dealt in the 『Analects』, into writing, education, and criticism and examined the utility of poetry appearing consistently in his poetics. In the poetics of writing, Confucius examined the relationship between incorrupt morality and the world of proprieties, which are associated with the foundation on which the poem is created, such as “Painting follows after plain silk” or “Cutting and polishing things such as precious stone,” and between sincerity and benevolence, which solidify the mind of gentlemen. In addition, it examined the beauty of golden mean and harmony: to be unaffected by any emotions, such as to enjoy but not obscenely and to mourn but within self-control. In the poetics of education, Confucius specifically mentioned the utility of 『poetry』. To Confucius, poetry was indispensable for cultivating social abilities and self-discipline and becoming successful beyond building literary refinement for gentlemen. Confucius described the key of the poetics of education as developing social empathic abilities with ‘pleasure,’ examining the compassion of the world with ‘outlook,’ participating as a member of society through ‘group,’ and controlling the heartlessness with ‘resentment.’ For the foregoing, in the poetics of education, the focus was placed on clarifying the specific utility of 『poetry』 in coping with people’s life. The poetics of criticism discussed the universality and symbolism of non-wickedness, being not twisted or not personal, based on fair and just moral purity and tried to expand Confucius’s poetics based on the example of the ‘flat door’ that anyone can access without restriction as poetry is like a door that significantly clarifies the moral sense. The significance of this study lies in the systematization of Confucius’s poetics based on the theory of education through poetry, found across the 『Analects』, into three viewpoints and the embodiment of the utility of the poetry. To Confucius, education through poetry was essential to teaching ideally ethical people. Therefore, it is deemed that his poetics appearing in the 『Analects』 placed more significance on its Confucian values pursuing ethical society by cultivating benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom and their utility than the literary value as poetry that sang about the human feelings and lyricism.