17세기 이후 율곡학의 계승 양상과 절충파 등장의 意義 - 성리설을 중심으로

Abstract

This thesis is aimed at consideration of the succession of Yulgok’s school, which comprised the main stream of academia in Joseon since 17th century, and research on features and implications of the eclectic faction, rising while the Yulgok’s school split. The history of Neo-Confucianism in Joseon was a concatenation of factional strife among different schools. However, there was a new wave of embracing the other’s idea between the Toegye’s school and Yulgok’s school. It had led to making a new phase in the history of Neo-Confucianism in Joseon. Those who made the very first gesture to bridge each other schools were some scholars from the Yulgok’s school, especially the people of Kim Chang-hyeop. Although they academically succeeded the Yulgok’s school and politically belonged to No-ron (老論, the hard-liners of Western faction), they accepted the theory of Toegye and constructed the third theory without excluding their academic basis of the Yulgok’s. In addition to Kim Chang-hyeop, there were other scholars from So-ron (少論, the moderates of Western faction) including Park Se-chae, Jo Seong-gi and Im Yeong, as another academic stream of the Yulgok’s school, that raised objections to the Yulgok’s theory and embraced the perspective of the Toegye’s to form the eclectic faction. The scholars from Kim Chang-hyeop and from the eclectic faction clearly appreciated the limits and drawbacks of Yulgok’s theory. Moreover, they regarded the theory of Toegye as complementary. Considering that era was in the strict barrier of schools and factions, it is noticeable progress in the development of academic history that they made great efforts to find the answer to the limits of Yulgok’s theory in that of the opponent, Toegye’s school, and emphasized the necessity of distinguishing the matter of ontology from that of ethics. In Neo-Confucianism, it is natural for the schools to split while in argument of how to comprehend the theory. Furthermore, it seems to have played a positive role in development of Neo-Confucianism. It is worth special attention that the tradition of a school had been succeeded for hundreds of years as well as there had been continuous studies upon a certain theory through numerous diatribe and acknowledgement.