주자학과 전쟁 - 임진왜란을 맞은 서애 류성룡의 사상적 변화

Abstract

Zhu Xi’s Learning was of little use in the wake of war. When the Southern Song (1127-1279) was invaded by the Jurchen Jin, Zhu Xi (1130-1200) spoke only of cultivating the mind and resisting aliens without considering how to strengthen the military. Zhu Xi only emphasized the primacy of the mind as the ultimate solution in times of both war and peace. The followers of Zhu Xi in Joseon Korea repeated what Zhu Xi said as to the primacy of the mind. Yulgok Yi Yi (李珥, 1536-1584) was one of those Zhu Xi’s followers. Ryu Seong-ryong, too, was not much different from Yi Yi. However, in the wake of the Imjin War, he was transformed into a military expert, economic specialist and diplomatic strategist. As a war- time premier, Ryu Seong- ryong proved to be an excellent soldier like Yi Sunsin (李舜臣, 1545-1598). Rather than engage in the lofty ideals of heavenly principle or Confucian ethics, he paid heed to the humanly desires of the people and designed various wartime policies based on the conditions of time, which were beyond the scope of ordinary followers of Zhu Xi. The metamorphosis of Ryu Seong-ryong was indeed revolutionary although he seems never to have been conscious of his internal transformation. Because of the urgency of the war, other Neo-Confucian scholars could not notice the revolutionary transformation of Ryu‘s thought; even if they did, they could not take issue with his radical change. At least during the wartime, the revolution of Ryu‘s thought could take place without much resistance from others. However, when the war was over, Yi Sunsin died and Ryu was dismissed from office. After the war Joseon scholars became all the more obsessed with Zhu Xi’s learning. The Imjin war put a temporary stop to Zhu Xi’s learning in Joseon, which should be considered the most significant intellectual meanings of the war itself. We can only conjecture why Ryu underwent a fundamental intellectual revolution and why became the hero of the Imjin War. He felt an insurmountable sense of guilt over the collapse of the state and the sufferings of the people, and devoted his life to the cause of overcoming the challenges of war. He selflessly committed to the cause of overcoming the challenges of war with his ailing body. It was his way of steeling his mind in response to the actual events of life. In the realities of history, the path of the great man (dazhangfu 大丈 夫) is meant to be full of tragic sufferings.