[논어]의 '행복'에 관한 교육학적 의미: 탈현대성을 중심으로

Abstract

This study investigates, based on Analects, if the Confucius' insights about the pursuit of happiness could still hold true in the 21st century, when a highly developed material civilization aggravates human mental breakdown and unhappiness. Confucius provided the following insights. First, practicing the Confucian principle of benevolence completes one's good life. He further proposed two ways of fulfilling this principle: one lies in the individual and the other in the relationship with others. Second, at the individual level, one should cultivate one's morals through continuous learning. Third, one should strive to establish qualitative relationships with others through the Confucian proprieties and sympathy, which emphasizes the importance of understanding others by puting oneself in other people's shoes. Ironically, the post-modern eudemonics of Confucius, often considered as the oldest idea, is certainly believed to have the power of healing the deformed society today, which boasts of its state-of-the-art technologies, and yet the members of the society feel unhappier than ever. Therefore, it is worthwhile to reconsider the Confucian eudemonics as part of “reviewing the old and learning the new,” as Confucius described.