弘齋 正祖의 學問觀

Abstract

This paper explores Hongjae King Jeongjo's view on scholarship. As well known, King Jeongjo is a scholar king, on the level of Seonggun (聖君: Saintly Sovereign) with his reign comparable to that of King Sejong's. Yet, evaluations on him widely vary from the "reformer king" to the "conservative king." This paper attempts to find reasons for these contradictory evaluations in his view on scholarship. King Jeongjo criticized the contemporary Gojeunghak and Seohak (especially Catholicism) as Sokhak 俗學=邪學, pseudo knowledge) and attempted for Jeonghak 正學: Orthodox knowledge) to take its roots instead. What he considered as Jeonghak was none other than Gyeonghak (經學: Studies of Confucius Canons). Gyeonghak, he saw, consisted of Eurihak (義理學: Studies of Righteousness and Right Principles) and Myeongmuldosuhak (名物度數學: Studies of Material Things and Mathematics). He called both Eurihak and Myeongmuldosuhak Silhak (實學: Studies on Practical Things). So, one can form an equation of his view on scholarship, that is Jeonghak = Gyeonghak = Silhak. Then, why does King Jeongjo receive such contradictory evaluations of the 'reformer king' and the 'conservative king'? This is owing to none other than his view on scholarship. When one sees from the perspectives of Eurihak, his views seem conservative and on the other hand, when one sees from the perspectives of Myeongmuldosuhak, his views are quite progressive. Due to these differences, the reformer King Jeongjo can be seen as a conservative King Jeongjo. I think his true value lies right in this ambivalent status of his that is at the border between reformism and the conservatism.