『孟子』의 不忍人之心에 대한 주희⋅이토 진사이⋅정약용의 해석 비교

Abstract

In Korean, Chinese and Japanese Confucianism, the awareness of time in every Confucian scholar is distinguishing from each other. Zhu Xi (朱熹1130-1200), the Chinese Confucian, is considered the most influential figure who had compiled the Neo-Confucianism. In this paper, the author would like to interpret and compare Zhu Xi’s thought with one of Ito Jinsai (伊藤仁齋1627-1705), a great scholar of a Japanese school named “ancient learning”, and Dasan Jeong Yak Yong (丁若鏞1762-1836), the compiler of a Korean school named “practical learning”. These two Confucian scholars, in the changing situation of society in the late 17th century, in order to realize the ideal Confucian society by means of moral self-improvement, had criticized the existing Neo-Confucianism originated from Zhu Xi and proposed a new way of thinking on the Confucian classics. The feeling against the cruelty towards others can be seen the basis of the moral sentiments. Zhu Xi thinks that everybody has the moral sentiment named “unbearing mind (不忍人之心, the heart which cannot bear to witness the sufferings of others)”, thus if it is improved, the moral activities will certainly be undertaken. As for Jinsai, he asserts that the unbearing mind can be realized in the relation with others in daily life as the mind which does not treat others violently or cruelly. With Jeong Yak Yong, the unbearing mind is regarded as a kind of essential principle (本理) which can be called “humanness (仁)”. Therefore Jeong Yak Yong repudiates Zhu Xi’s viewpoint according to which all the four sprouts (四端) can be embraced in this unbearing mind (不忍人之心). Jinsai and Jeong Yak Yong aim to overcome Zhu Xi’s cosmological way of thinking on the unbearing mind and emphasize the practical concept of human. Moreover, Jinsai explains that the expansion of the unbearing mind is the very consideration for others, and Jeong Yak Yong regards it as the starting point of the improvement of one’s morality. In Zhu Xi’s viewpoint, the four virtues (四德) is the “nature that has not yet brought out (未發之性)”, and the four sprouts (四端) the “affection that has already brought out (已發之情)”. On the contrary, Jinsai and Jeong Yak Yong share the thought according to which “four sprouts” is the source within the heart, we can develop them and by practising we can accomplish the four virtues namely humanness, righteousness, propriety and comprehensiveness.