15세기 최고의 여성 지식인, 인수대비

Abstract

A Woman Intellectual in 15th Century, Insu-daebi(仁粹大妃) Lee, Kyung-ha An important issue of this essay is what kind of character Insu-daebi(仁粹大妃) has been described in TV dramas or columns or books. She is Seong-jong(成宗)'s mother, Queen Sohye(昭惠王后, 1437～1504). We have a tendency to describe her a conservative women that propagated Confucian morals for women in the first time in Choseon(朝鮮) Dynasty, because she wrote a book of women's confucian morals, <Naehun(內訓)>, and expelled her daughter-in-law from the palace by reason of her unobedience. However, it is a little bit different from what we generally know about her. She on the one hand led to propagate Confucian morals for women, on the other hand arouse strong criticism among Confucian scholars and statesmen because of her remark that she had disagreed with them about a Buddhism police. She on the one hand expelled her daughter-in-law because she had disobeyed her husband, Insu-daebi's son, on the other hand was criticized by Confucian statesmen because of her political speaking. Such conduct seems to be a little contradictory to each other, but it seems to characterize a period of transition of 15th century. Another important aspect of Insu-daebi character is her intellectual level. My opinion is that she was a representative woman intellectual in 15th century. She participated in translation of Buddhist scriptures. It means that she was able to understand Buddhist scriptures written in Chinese letters, which was uncommon as a woman in that period. Her writing a book, Naehun, in Chinese letters was little common either. Confucianism and Buddhism seems to have been intellectual spheres to her.