程伊川 敎育論에 관한 考察

Abstract

This study examines the theory of education and teaching methodology based on li-system which was studied by Neo-confucianist 伊川(Yi-Chuan)in Northern-Song university. 伊川(Yi-Chuan) systematized li-system which was a principle of existence and a backbone of Neo-Confucian thinking system. He also systematized mind logically by approaching the human mind problem subjectively which Neo-confucianism was relatively inferior to the Taoism and Buddhism at that time. He played an important role to bring not only principle of existence but also human mind into relief in Neo-confucianism. 伊川(Yi-Chuan)’s Education was mainly divided into two categories based on li-system that were education aims and Training methodology. The purpose of his education theory was “being a saint” like the tradition of Advanced Confucianism. Saint is a human being who is checking the life of people in colorful ways in the highest place, and he is also a complete human having the law of nature. At time same time, a saint is an extremely good natured human being that could be presented as a typical model which is different from ordinary people. The importance of a saint as his purpose of education is that he proved a person who has a certain given set of pure energy is not a saint, but anyone could be a saint by converting murky temperament into pure one through learning. In other word, he brought ‘ the conversion of Opened Saint’. He thought that people could be a saint through learning, and he divided learning method into two things. They were 居敬(JuJing) which was the way to cultivate the mind to catch and 格物窮理(gewuqiongli) which was a pathways to study that fosters nature. He thought that through those, people could change their innate temperament into good one, and it could lead themselves to the state of a saint by penetrating all work and things of the world extensively. This was the theory of education he systemized.