생태노동론적 관점에서 본 김지하의 생명 사상

Abstract

Based on Kim Ji-ha’s interpretation of the central doctrines of Donghak, this study is aimed to review his thoughts on life and evaluate the implications of ecological labor. When discussing space nature, Kim Ji-ha explained Choi Je-woo’s concept on the Gi-Hwa of godly spirit by combining it with Teilhard de Chardin’s theory of evolution of life in space and applied Choi Je-woo’s theory of Bulyeon- Giyeon(不然其然, not being so, and yet being so) to support the combination of religious intuition and scientific perception of cosmic life. However, he emphasized that people’s labor allows us to understand the reality of life better than either scientific perception or religious intuition of it. This is because, above all, space nature is engaged in a broad sense of labor aimed at ‘life saving’ and people are the subjects who engage in contact and communication with this natural life through their labor. Furthermore, Kim Ji-ha advocated a life movement calling for the people to play roles in this work of cosmic nature to save life, and this is grounded on Choi Si-hyung’s own interpretation on Sik[食]-related thoughts. He interpreted the theory of Serve God with God(以天食天) in his own way as a meaning that all life species prey on other species in nature, but never result in extinction. Therefore, what he affirmed among the people’s labor was the labor of cooperating with Hanulim’s work to save life. Also, he insisted that the act of cooking and eating rice, a ‘fruit’ of labor through cooperation between nature and the people should be an act of serving life just like holding a ritual. In short, from the perspective of ecological labor theory, Kim Ji-ha’s life thoughts contain a lot of pioneering insights. However, it is observed that his thoughts on life were not fully translated into words and actions related to labor aimed at preserving life.