유학사적 관점에서 살펴본 조선주자학과 퇴계학의 의미

Abstract

Although the Confucianism in the Joseon Dynasty was strongly influenced by the Jujahak (School of Zhu Xi) in the Song Dynasty, it was reborn by Toegye Yi Hwang (1501-1570). The teachings of Yi Hwang were rooted in Confucianism of Confucius and Mencius and the Jujahak. However, his teachings were also evolved to the level of developing independent philosophical thoughts. In other words, his teachings contain both similarities and differences comparing to Confucianism of Confucius and Mencius and the Jujahak. Their differences become apparent when investigating them in a contradistinctive way. Confucius was a founding father of Confucianism by suggesting the framework of social relations between humans while Zhu Xi was a reviver of the Confucianism in a sense that he revived Confucianism by revealing human nature and arguing of reviving it. Meanwhile, Yi Hwang who had inherited the teachings of Confucius and Zhu Xi enhanced the religiousness or transcendence of Confucianism. Yi Hwang made Confucianism to establish the theoretical framework that embraced both immanence and transcendence by adding the religiousness along with sociality and human nature. Jujahak in the Joseon Dynasty, with Yi Hwang as its leading figure, established an independent space where learning and religion came into contact. In that space, it revived the religiousness or transcendence of Confucianism. Furthermore, it also reformed realistic politics and moralized politics. The practical Confucianism of Confucius was evolved to the human nature oriented Confucianism of Zhu Xi. In the Joseon Dynasty, this evolution was finalized as the form of Confucianism which embraced both transcendence of the religion and political realities. In conclusion, Jujahak in the Joseon Dynasty played a crucial philosophical role to expand and universalize Confucianism from ancient China to Eastern Asia.