『뜻으로 본 한국역사』와 1960년대 함석헌의 민주화운동

Abstract

Ham Seok-heon was one of the representative intellectuals that took the lead in the pro-democracy movement in the 1960s. He tried to prevent the military dictatorship from returning to power by criticizing the military coup of May 16 and continued such activities after the launch of the third republic following the inauguration of President Park Jung-hee in 1963. He began his struggle to stop diplomatic normalization between South Korea and Japan in 1964 and failed at his attempt in 1965. Turning over a new leaf again, he revised and published A Korean History from a Spiritual Perspective in four years. A Korean History from a Spiritual Perspective was not a history book that he merely wrote at the desk, but his alter ego as an "intellectual" to enlighten the people with "writing" and "speech" for a "non-violent revolution" based on his ideas and experiences. He placed importance on the people, but he put more emphasis on the roles of intellectuals to make the people realize in Korean History from a Spiritual Perspective and other writings of his during the period. The subjects of democracy were the people, who needed enlightenment from intellectuals. Judging from those aspects, it is safe to say that the roles of intellectuals are more highlighted than the existence of the people in his theory on democracy. He was a doer that threw himself into the field, not remaining as a simple thinker. His ideal of non-violent peaceful revolution in which the entire people would participate might have been unrealistic in front of the oppression of the military dictatorship in the 1960s. it might have been infeasible from the start. However, he never got frustrated and was devoted to his roles as a "pioneer" and "intellectual" to enlighten the people with "writing" and "speech," which continued on in the 1970s and 1980s. That is, he maintained his beliefs throughout his life regardless of their feasibility.