『예기(禮記)』의 상례(喪禮)·제례(祭禮)에 나타난 죽음론의 교육적 의의

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the meaning of death in funeral rites(喪禮) and ancestral rites(祭禮) of Liji(禮記) and to contemplate its educational significance. In funeral rites and ancestral rites the meaning of death can be viewed from tow aspects; the concept of soul and the perspective of life-death. The concept of soul in Liji is explained by Hon-Bo(魂魄), which is related to Ying-Yang(陰陽). The perspective of life-death is represented by the continuity of life-death, which means that the vitality of the dead continues through the living. Meanwhile, followings are the educational functions of funeral rites and ancestral rites in Liji. First, funeral rites and ancestral rites make it possible for the living not only to express the grief of the loss naturally but also to control it properly. Second, funeral rites and ancestral rites play a role in cultivating morality of the participants. Third, funeral rites and ancestral rites have a feature of a biological and social classification by distinguishing the high from the low, the familiar from the distant. As funeral rites and ancestral rites provide the original form of Korean death idea, the thoughts of death appeared in Liji would have a lot of implications in establishing Korean death education. For instance the idea of controlling grief in Liji would be a new model for grief education and it carries great significance in that we can find ways of the practice for moral education through death education.