노인고독사 문제에 대한 유교의 반성적 고찰 ― 유교경전 속 죽음에 대한 논의를 중심으로 ―

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore lonely death problem of the elderly, focusing on the perspective of Confucian death. The fundamental problem of lonely death among senior citizens in our society, which can be examined from a philosophical point of view, is also related to the issue of society's overall perception of death. Changes in the socio-economic environment in our society today, which are rapidly changing past the nuclear family to a one-person family system, are also showing some outsourced and commercialized aspects of caring for the elderly. In this situation, the number of elderly lonely deaths is increasing rapidly, such as the elderly living alone and dying or choosing suicide. In this reality, what perspective Confucianism, which has traditionally been the cultural foundation of respect and ceremonies for the elderly, can present, this paper focuses on the perception of death in the Confucian Classics. For this, first of all, this paper explores the basic perspective of Confucian funerals as a natural expression of feelings for death and how this Confucian perspective can be applied and functioned as a funeral for the elderly solitude as a common responsibility in society. In addition, this paper analyses the various forms of death in the Confucian Classics and explores the possibility of expanding the issue of elderly solitude to the discussion of "good death" based on the Confucian perspective of actively choosing "well-dying" rather than passively accepting death.