매월당 김시습의 행정개혁사상

Abstract

He was known as a premature prodigy, a lonely wanderer, and a dreamer. Only few people understood the real meaning of his life during his presence. However, no one hated his death. Describing him as a genius poet or an icon of honor would be insufficient. This man, Kim Si Seup, was a philosopher satisfied with a simple life relying on few things such as a cane and straw shoes. He wandered like an indifferent cloud and a selfless moonlight. He would come and go freely but he would express his anger at times which often led him to depression. However, he would easily find his calm in nature and write about his thoughts on human nature. He was angry at injustice being done in a society but believed that only in reality could our human realize our potentials. Kim Si Seup developed his own theory based on ‘chi’. He insisted that all objects and phenomenon are made of single energy he called ‘chi’. He valued highly of freedom and individual character rather than ruling principles. He identified ‘Buddha’ with confucian and explained ‘good’ in a confucius way. Even though he was a monk, it appears that his heart was in confucianism. This explains his optimism towards reality in his theory. Optimism as a basis for his theory, he insisted on reforms in politics and public areas. This appears in his writings about the rise and fall of a nation, public sentiments, a national finance, and criminal policies. His life presents us a lesson. By denying all theories and ideologies that pursue absolute power he found a way to realize our potentials and revive every opportunities therein.