혜강 사상의 생태주의적 교육원리

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the ecological meaning of Hyegang Choe Han-gi’s(1803-1877) thought and its application to educational principles. The results can be summarized as follows. At the outset, it should be noted that there are three perspectives on ecology in Korean traditional thought. First, there is the understanding that all the myriad beings and things are fundamentally equal. Second, traditionally people thought reflectively on humanity and civilization from the standpoint of all beings. And third, they would have argued that the natural way and human life are unified. Next, we investigated the ecological worldview in Hyegang’s thought. Although nature(the way of Heaven) and man(the way of man) have an organic relationship, fundamentallythey are separate. Hyegang’s worldview is mechanistic in that man and all things are alike in their matter(gi) and in their function. In this case, man is not the only subject capable of cognition and neither is he a chosen being. All beings possess equivalent responsibility and rights before nature’s dispensation. Finally, from the viewpoint of ecological education, we have understood Hyegang’s thought through the principles of ‘great equality’ (daedong) and ‘communication’(sotong). His ‘great equality’ philosophy is an act of benevolence towards man and all beings. In an era of ecological crises, the educational principle of ‘great equality’ is a more appropriate ideology than holistic or humanitarian education. As for his ‘communication’ theory, it is a matter of the exchange of gi between man and man, man and nature. The educational principle of ‘communication’ restores the relation of equality and peace between the self and the other.