茶山 丁若鏞의 『春秋』에 대한 이해와 해석 방법 − <春秋考徵>의 ‘不書卽位’에 대한 분석을 중심으로 −

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to review the features of Dasan’s study of the Spring and Autumn Annals and the methodological characteristics of his understanding of Confucian classics by analyzing his interpretation of the history book. The subject related to the accession of Eungong (隱公: The fourth king of the State of Lu) to the throne was not only an important part of funeral rites but also the most debated issue in the historical Annals. Since he was aware of the significance of this subject in understanding the Spring and Autumn Annals, he conducted very thorough analysis and took an in-depth approach, assigning a chapter to this subject separately. Unlike previous approaches presented in Mieondaeui (微言大義: Great meanings are contained in small writings) or Chunchupilbeop (春秋筆法: A style of writing that austerely records historical matters based on actual facts), he was able to carry out very objective and reasonable interpretation based on the empirical investigation and identification of historical facts. His approaches were considered to have presented a new method and direction in studying the Spring and Autumn Annals as well as clearly proved the limits of previous methods to understand these historical records. Thus, Chunchugojing embodied the practical research methods that passed through Dasan’s study of Confucian classics. Therefore, it is correct to say that the book holds an important position in his academic achievement and, furthermore, it is a crucial material to understand and research his methods to study Confucian classics and the overall structure of his studies.