주돈이의 세계와 인간 이해

Abstract

This thesis is to arrange Zhou Dunyi’s understanding of the world and his comprehension of human beings. Taiji Tushuo(太極圖說) and Tong Shu (通書) are the texts that can confirm his ideas. Despite a short length of Taiji Tushuo, the book includes various ideas of Zhou Dunyi’s world creation, the features of human beings and the worthy of a holy man (the sage), the method of self-cultivation. According to Tong Shu, Cheng(誠) is what Zhou Dunyi is focused on in his understanding of the world and human beings. In this text, Cheng is the foundation of the sage and all things. Therefore, Cheng is what makes the individuals as they are. When it comes to defining the meaning of the Cheng, he thinks of Cheng as a foundation of the five moral principles. Cheng is a superior concept of the five moral principles and it's the source of the possibility of moral, ethical human acts. The distinction of his comprehension of human beings is the emphasis on ‘indication (幾)’. Zhou Dunyi’s recognition of the importance of ‘indication(幾)’ is based on I-Ching(周 易). He claims that the division of good(善) and evil(惡) begins with ‘indication’, which differenciates his theory from others’. Zhou Dunyi’s understanding of nature(性) is special because he explains good and evil based on the strength(剛) and the softness(柔). He distinguishes nature as Good and Evil, Strength and Softness and the Mean(中). His understanding of humans based on Strength and Softness proves that he is a Qi(氣) theorist. He explains the sage unified with nature (自然) and the way to achieve that by having no desire(無欲) and having tranquillity(靜). He depicts the way and the stages of the foundation of the creatures in a broad realization. He opens the possibility of becoming the sage by self-cultivation in his theory of human beings. Known that he accepts the Taoism and his consideration on I-Ching and Zhongyoung(中庸), he can be evaluated as a theorist who believes in the importance of the foundation and the origin of creations.