18세기 鄕村 知識人의 自我 構成 : 存齋 魏伯珪의 경우

Abstract

Wi Baek-gyu (1727-1798) was a practical learning scholar, writer, and Neo-Confucianist. In his later life, he gave up the state examination and returned to his birthplace to engage in agriculture, reading, and local movement. This paper aims to broaden understanding on the subject of the existence of local literati in 18th century Joseon by examining how his self configuration was understood and composed. He formed his opinion on the self by combining the two theories of absence of ego and presence of ego which was directly in contrast with the Buddhist and Taoist theory of absence of ego. He focused more on the presence of ego than the absence of ego in order to create a base for daily needs satisfaction activities and ethical/social practices from a subject development perspective. He also partially agreed with the absence of ego theory. This was for raising the efficiency of practices, which was distinct from Buddhism and Taoism. His most essential factor of constructing the self as a practical subject was obligation to local place. It was recognized as a local movement through Sagang-hoi(社講會) and Gajungsashi-hoi(家中四時會). However it was difficult for his local movement to be recognized as separate from the lineage-centric characteristics due to the lineage order being powerful at that time. Family ethics as guidance of the lineage movement involved a strong patriarchal mindset. Through the efforts to expand filial piety to local ethics, however, the patriarchal mindset overcame lineage exclusiveness and was able to approach local publicness. Recognition of subjectivity is more of a timeless rather than merely modern phenomenon. The examples of Wi Baek-gyu indicate a need for introduction of various analytical views on self-construal.