율곡 이이의 ‘리기지묘(理氣之妙)’ 사유에 대한 재고찰

Abstract

This essay aims to demonstrate Yulgok Ii(栗谷李珥, 1536~1584)’s philosophy of li-gi(理氣) is holistic and organic system, which is not dichotomous dualism, and reductive monism, neither, by reconsidering the thought of Yulgok Ii’s ‘li-gi ji myo(理氣之妙).’ In order to approach more efficiently to the purpose, it firstly reassesses the previous studies that define Yulgok’s philosophy in terms of ‘li-gi dualism,’ ‘objective idealism,’ or ‘conflict value-theory of material and mind,’ based on a notion of exclusive substance from Western philosophy, and then uncovers the lack of their studies on the thought of Yulgok’s ‘li-gi ji myo.’ The problematic matter would lead up to a deep analysis of two constituting principles of ‘li-gi ji myo’ and its two unfolding theories in light of the ontological and cosmological dimension. Two constituting principles are ‘won-bulsangli(元不相離)’ and ‘sil-bulsangjap(實不相雜),’ which describe the wholeness of li-gi and its opposite properties, and they go through the thought of ‘li-gi ji myo(理氣之妙)’and the two unfolding theories ‘gibal-i-liseung(氣發而理乘)’ and ‘litong-i-giguk(理通而氣局)’ in the dimensions of ontology and cosmology. If ‘li-gi ji myo’ in ontological dimension comes to ‘li-gihonhap(理氣本合)’ which can take form of ‘gibal-i-liseung’ of ‘miyeon(未然)’ and ‘litong-i-giguk’of‘mieung(未應),’ in cosmological dimension it gets to be ‘li-gi ji myoyong(理氣之妙用)’ unfolding into ‘gibal-i-liseung’ of ‘iyeon(已然)’ and ‘litong-i-giguk’ of ‘ieung(已應).’ While creatively synthesizing the two analyzed theories, the thought of Yulgok Ii’s ‘li-gi ji myo’ is theorized in such a way of cosmo-ontology and onto-cosmology, and this essay makes it clearer his philosophy of li-gi is holistic and organic.