공맹의 인간관과 노년

Abstract

This article's aim is to elucidate Confucius-Mencius’ perspectives on Gerontology. The Confucius-Mencius’ perspectives on Gerontology is based on the human mind-heart and it's nature. Confucian human mind-heart and human nature is comprised of Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety and Wisdom. The family constitutes the cental element of Confucian societies. Therefore, "Filial piety and Fraternal submission are the root of all benevolent action. Confucian's Human relationship is none other than Conscientiousness and Altruism. Conscientiousness is a doctrine of self-cultivation & self revelation. As to Altruism, Confucius said, "the man of perfect virtue(仁者), wishing to be established himself", or "do not impose on others what you do not desire others to impose upon you." Mencius said, "The richest fruit of benevolence is the service of one's parents. The richest fruit of righteousness is the obeying one's parents. Confucius-Mencius proposed that we have to approach to the elderly as Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety and Wisdom. But Modern liberalistic individualism reduced a human relationship to transaction. In order to reconstruct new Gerontology, We must criticise modern liberalistic individualism. As an alternative, we proposed Confucius-Mencius’ perspectives on Gerontology in the historical and cultural contexts of the society in which we lived. Confucius-Mencius’ perspectives on Gerontology see the older with a reverence.