역사 철학적으로 본 함석헌의 통일에 관한 사유

Abstract

The fundamental questions that define our times are division and unification. Hahm Seok-Hun can be cited as one of the people who pondered the question of division and unification. He sought to mentally understand the issue beyond the context of realpolitik and based on the deepest possible grounds and the widest horizon possible. He saw the division of the Korean Peninsula as a product of the contradiction of modern sovereign states, which puts the interests of each nation first through competition and violence. Therefore, Hahm believed that overcoming such divisions as Korea had suffered would only be possible by overcoming the modern state system. In other words, he saw the division of the Korean Peninsula and unification as an event that coincided with a huge shift in world history from one based on nation-states to one based on the needs of the entire human race. To address this difficult task, Hahm Suk-hun boldly expanded the spectrum of the whole beyond a nation-state, to include the entire human family. Moreover, he stated that the ‘self’ must be freed from allegiance to a nation-state or any misrepresentation the impeded the referring of oneself to the whole of humanity, thereby maximizing human’s sovereignty Also, he established the principle of politics that prioritizes response to the pain of others. Through this approach, he wanted to open the way to save the Korean Peninsula from its internal division and establish itself as an intact entity. It also opened a new horizon of spirit through love, as an ambition for humanity as a whole.