<효자전>을 통해 본 종교감정 연구

Abstract

In this thesis, it was examiend that even though <Hyojajeon> can be read as ‘self-destructive behavior’ from a contemporary viewpoint, it needs to be interpreted as a religious emotion taking the times and circumstances into consideration. Nowadays, studies on emotions are being conducted actively all over the world. Korea holds an unchallenged position in the studies on emotions. Because Korea had dynasties ruled by cilvil servants for a long time, which is unprecedented in the world history, and the argument over emotions, the Sadanchiljeong argument, continued for 400 years in Joseon Dynasty. In terms of religion, it’s not easy to understand the religious sentiment of Joseon because the term of religion was introduced as a concept of legal colonization in the Japanese colonial era and was limited in the conceptual frame even after the liberation from Japan. Joseon had laws to punish undutifulness to one's parents, and filial duty, the emotion corresponding to In(benevolence) of Sadan, was the most important practical ethics. And regarding this emotion of filial duty, there was the social atmosphere of recognizing it without any limitations in all scopes. In <Hyojajeon>, almost all the contents were about the recognition of expressing the sadness of losing one’s mother as much as one wanted. In the social atmosphere of the times, those acts of expressing it were even awarded with a prize. In this study, it was emphasized that because today’s social problem of suicide is occurring probably due to the distortion of emotions we naturally have, if <Hyojajeon> can be understood properly today, it will help establish the social atmosphere in which everyone’s emotions are respected.