先秦 儒家의 말하기와 글쓰기, 그리고 天 개념의 상관관계 고찰

Abstract

We don't know when the ancient Chinese started to say something and write their thoughts. But it was not until China was the Shang Dynasty(商) that the Chinese started to write with a character, it was the inscriptions on bones and tortoise carapaces(甲骨文字). The writing was an important element of the Shang Dynasty culture. For examples oracle-bone inscriptions record divinations are "Shall it rain?" "Shall the western areas receive a harvest?", etc. They were composed with a literary intent, in addition they often pulse with examples of the Shang Dynasty sensitivity and language. But they were the translation of "Spirit Voices", were not for the sake of person communication, therefore they were not truly the vehicle of human thought. The Western Zhou Dynasty(西周) tried to deny the supreme authority of the Lord on High(上帝), the Confucius` doctrines of the Spring and Autumn Period(春秋) insisted upon“A man can enlarge the principles which he follows, those principles do not enlarge the man.(人能弘道, 非道弘人.)” But on the other hand he had to model after a pattern of the heaven`s law, and said“A transmitter and not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients(述而不作, 好古而新)”. He was not a positive writer. Mencius(孟子) of the Warring States(戰國) succeeded Confucius´s thought, setted up for the guide of the times, and told“I understand words, I am skilful in nourishing my vast, flowing passion-nature.(我知言, 我善養吾浩然之氣.)”. On the other hand Xunzi(荀子) assured that“the heavens don`t tell anything(天不言)”, and we had to learn the ways of a human and the heavens. So he concentrated his whole mind upon writing his people oriented thought(人本思想), it was his true worth in all philosophers and scholars` works.