다산의 저술에 본 공공부문 갈등관리

Abstract

Dasan (Jeong Yak-Yong) is a great Korean scholar of early 19th century who paid much at tention on public administration in up-to-date words including Mokminsimseo(Local Governors’ Leadership Handbook), Kyeong- seayoopyo (Book of Government Reform) and ect. Dasan did not directly deal with the subject of conflict or conflict management. However, we can read many conflict-ridden situations in his works about public sector. This paper explores the implications of Dasan’s arguments in terms of conflict management theories of contemporary public administration. After distilling various features of conflicts observed in Dasan’s works, this paper tries to find the reasons of troubled conflict resolution in the Choseon dynastic government administration. This article shed more lights on the Dasan’s prescriptions for conflict management. Confucian scholar Dasan emphasized the improvement of personal capability of local governors such as setting an example of abstinence to others, recruiting excellent staffs and unfailing application of rewards and punishments. He also mentioned institutional reforms for policy conflicts. Finally, Dasan’s argument on the conflict over ruling legitimacy sounds somewhat shocking because he advocated a theory of overpowering a despot from the bottom with a justification of ancient Chinese history that the King Tang(탕) of Sang(상) replaced the King Keol(걸) of Ha(하). His argument might sound perilous in a sense to justify people’s power as a base of dynastic ruling. Notwithstanding such a progressive argument, Dasan’s orientation on conflict management was bounded by the logic of Choseon dynastic government operations.