성호 이익의 재이설의 양면성과 실천론 -『성호사설』을 중심으로-

Abstract

In Seongho Yi Ik’s portent theory(zaeyi-seul 災異說), the view that portents are simply natural phenomena and the view that they are expressions of heavenly will or cheongyeon(天譴) coexists without a theoretical contradiction. This coexistence is possible because Yi Ik understood the two divergent traditions of portent theories as internally coherent based on traditional knowledge of ligi(理氣), gisu(氣數), and gwisin(鬼神). Considering the fact that the separation of natural phenomenon and human behavior gained prominence among scholars of the late Joseon period, Seongho Yi Ik’s efforts to defend the legitimacy of the ‘heavenly will’ discourse(cheongyon-ron 天譴論) substantiated by various traditional knowledge can be seen as an exceptional case. Yi Ik adhered to this position because he could not discard the portent theory’s usefulness in pursuits of high virtue in man and society. In fact, the naturalist and super-naturalist views that coexist in Yi Ilk’s portent theory are linked to the demands for good governance and morality. Yi Ik argues that for a society to overcome or prevent a disaster or zaeyi, all its members should improve the system in their own respective parts. Furthermore, they should uphold the will of heaven and deter man and society from falling into corruption. As we can see from Dasan’s view that the mind-nature theory(simseong-ron 心性論) and the governance theory(kyeongse-ron 經世論) are at the core of the Learning of Seongho(seongho-hak 星湖學), we can conclude that the demands for good governance and morality incorporated within Seongho Yi Ik’s portent theory serve as the two pillars upholding his practice theory.