賈誼禮論의 정신과 그 근거로서의 孟·荀종합적 인성론

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the spirit of Jia-Yi's theory of proprieties(禮) and his theory of human nature of Meng-zi and Xun-zi' synthesis as its basis. In order to achieve this swiftly, first of all, we have to consider the implications of the collapse of Qin dynasty as well as the problem of absolute despotism and the edification of the people. Secondly, we have to consider the origin of Jia-Yi's theory of proprieties which as a synthesis of Meng-zi and Xun-zi. Only then can we understand why he put so much emphasis on proprieties and made so much efforts to discover its origins. The reason behind his emphasis on proprieties was that he wanted to build a system of government based on the Confucian ideal of proprieties and virtue instead of heavy punishments and strict execution of laws which were the causes of the collapse of Qin. Plus, by eliminating the then much exercised practice of overstep one's authority(僭越) and securing the absolute despotism, he aimed to control the demand of goods while removing the social chaos. Furthermore, by making proprieties as the model for the government of the nation, he expected that it will ultimately prevent the abuse of authority even from the absolute emperor himself. However, Jia-Yi soon discovered that when he was asked with the question of "what is the origin of proprieties?" he had no clear answer. Thus, while on hand he inherits the concept of proprieties developed by Xun-zi, on the other hand, he employs the Daoistic concept of Dao as its origin. Notwithstanding, his arguments were truly Confucian in character and tried to guarantee the rightfulness of ethics which included the Confucian concept of proprieties. In these aspects, we can conclude that his efforts were, in nature, a synthesis of Meng-zi and Xun-zi.