율곡 이이의 현실인식과 경세사상

Abstract

This paper examines Yulgok's perception of reality and thoughts of social and economy. As is well known, Yulgok, along with Toegye Yi Hwang, was a scholar and governor of the Joseon Dynasty. If Toegye was devoted to Confucianism, the mainstream academic at the time, Yulgok took great interest not only in Confucianism but also in national social and economy. In addition, Yulgok expressed his social and economy ideas through many writings and documents as ‘Seonghagjibyo’, ‘Maneonbongsa’, ‘Donghomundab’. Yulgok diagnosed the 16th century Joseon society in which he lived as a period in which major reforms were required as a period of decline. Yulgok appealed to the king to renew society through many writings and documents. Yulgok recognized that social and economic problems would arise over time, and tried to stabilize the lives of the people through institutional reforms at that time. Yulgok's governing thoughts is represented by educating the people after feeding people. Yulgok said "The people depend on what they eat." and emphasized the importance of the people who stabilize the lives of the people. In other words, it was said that after promoting the economic stability of the people first, education for the humanity life of the people was also important. It can be said that Yulgok's thoughts have succeeded to the governing thoughts of Confucius and Mencius.