『일신수필』 서문, 청나라 중화론을 위한 학문론

Abstract

「The preface to 『Ilshinshupil(馹汛隨筆)』 is an article of 『Yeolha-ilgi』 ofYeonam Park Jiwon(燕巖 朴趾源, 1737∼1805)' writing, in which he arguedabout the method how the great thing of Qing dynasty could be realized. The conversations about the great thing of Qing dynasty among Chosunenvoys were gossips by origin. But Park Jiwon put a reinterpretation onthem into the conversations about the cultural or ethnic identity of Qingdynasty. He regarded them as showing understanding of the cultural orethnic identity of Qing dynasty. He thought that the envoys did not acknowledge that the identity of Qingdynasty has been changed into the Sinic civilization, because they were possessedby preconceptions about and ignorance of Qing dynasty. The doctrine that Qingdynasty had roots in barbarians was one of negative preconceptions, enforcingthem to believe that the identity of Qing dynasty was barbarism. He criticized thedoctrine. He refused to regard the doctrine as universal principles covering Qingdynasty Period, because it came from 『Chunqiu Zuozhuan(春秋左傳)』, a Chineseclassic covering the "Chunqiu Period" from 722 to 468 B.C.. His alternative proposal was scholarly approach. He analyzed theEnlightenment of Confucius, Buddha, and European astronomers. And he foundthat the Buddha’s Enlightenment was a type of preconception; European astronomer, a type of ignorance. He realized that the principle of Confucius’Enlightenment was the very method to make us to found and acknowledge theidentity of Qing dynasty. The principle of Confucius’ Enlightenment was thebroad learning and proper conduct(博文約禮). The principle of broad learning and proper conduct implied experience andverification. Direct experienceand Direct verification get people to acknowledge thereality that Qing dynasty has changed into the Sinic civilization. This means that if a personhad followed the principle of Confucius’ Enlightenment, he would accept the fact that Qingdynasty has become civilized, And this also means that the principle of the broad learningand proper conduct, not the doctrine of honoring the Chinese race and driving off thebarbarians, had to be chosen to understand the identity of Qing dynasty correctly. The doctrines that Qing dynasty has change into the Sinic civilizationrequires a paradigm shift in the identity of Qing dynasty. The prefaceto 『Ilshinshupil(馹汛隨筆)』 is his first argument in 『Yeolha-ilgi』 that Qingdynasty has change into the Sinic civilization, and that the doctrine ofhonoring the Chinese race and driving off the barbarians might not beadopted for Qing dynasty. This is the significance of The preface to 『Ilshinshupil(馹汛隨筆)』.