정도전(鄭道傳) 재상정치론(宰相政治論)의 유교적 연원과 정치철학적 함의

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the Confucian Political and Philosophical meaning and origin of 'The Theory of Premier’s Politics,' the key point of the political idea of Confucian Scholar Sambong Jeong Do-jeon(三峯鄭道傳) (1342-1398). When the discourse of 'The Builder of the Royal Dynasty, Jeong Do-jeon,' is usually accepted, it would be cognized that the political idea of Jeong Do-jeon cannot but be confronted with the Joseon Dynasty's royal powers based on hereditary monarchy. Thus, this study poses the awareness of the issue about how Jeong Do-jeon would redress and justify the antinomic conflict relations with 'the common Theory of Premier’s Politics' and Joseon Dynasty's hereditary monarchy, and about what they are built on. Against this backdrop, Jeong Do-jeon made the plan of 'The Theory of Premier’s Politics,' based on the abdication system, the past legacy of Confucian system, and the times of peace that was maintained during the reign of King Yun and King Sun in the Chinese ancient age. The Theory of Premier's Politics that Jeong Do-jeon intended to pursue makes it as a major premise that the abdicated king must descend the throne and face the south to test the qualification of wise and competent vassal to act as ruler, and that wise and competent vassal must do the best to take care of the royal court and subjects. Needless to say, King can make the only person with blood ties succeed to the throne, in hereditary monarchy, and thus abdication is no longer permitted. Meanwhile, Vassal can hand throne over to wise and competent subjects, anytime, which makes it possible to secure the fundamental stability of the State. The conflicts with moral character of ruler and real political power remained as the long dilemma in the Confucian political history. Jeong Do-jeon had cognized that it would be hard to realize the image of ideal monarch having virtue and ability in hereditary monarchy, by nature. Thus as the alternative to it, he worked out the political system that wise and competent vassal would correctly establish insufficient virtue of monarch and act as ruler in the political circle. It can be considered the Confucian Political and Philosophical meaning of 'The Theory of Premier’s Politics' of Jeong Do-jeon is to secure ideological justification and qualification of ruling power, with the political efficacy and stability.