北人의 영수 鄭仁弘의 사상과 현실 대응

Abstract

Studying about Jeong, Inhong(The Leader of Bukin Party) is important because his execution which happened during Injo Banjeong, 1623, holds a major historic significance enough to be considered a diverging point in Joseon dynasty’s development of political and ideologic history. Jeong, Inhong, a possessor of a strong disposition and direct propensity, pursued practical academic traditions while dealing with the reality, and stood up as a politician and philosopher of an era while Gwanghaegun was on the throne. Unlike the legitimate Neo-confucianists, Jeong, Inhong was concerned with actually practicing the Neo-confucianism, and also showed an intention to perform social reformation, putting the accommodation of the people to the priority task. As for politics, he was positive of monarchism, and did not approve of the factional politics. However, in the political reality of Joseon dynasty, where the factional politics were already settled as the general trend, his path could not be accepted without being considered to be self-righteous. His tenacity to the past affairs, such as his action to regain the impaired reputation of the people concerned with Gichukoksa, and demand for enshrinement of his master, Nammyeong, in the royal confucian shrine, also helped to form the oppositions. Nevertheless, it is not right to evaluate Jeong, Inhong’s academic traditions and countermeasure to the reality negatively, due to the sole fact that he was defeated in politics. His ideology spoke for the reformatory intellectuals of the late 16th century, and his righteousness toward the king and respect to his master show the typical features of a scholar. It is necessary to understand his ideology and action for his principles and conviction more objectively, not from the viewpoint of the restored force after the Injo banjeong.23