심(心)과 지행(知行)에 관한 율곡의 사상을 인식론으로 재해석하는 북한 선행연구 비판적 고찰

Abstract

This paper critically examines previous studies conducted in North Korea that reinterpret Yulgok’s 栗谷 thoughts on xin (心, mind) and the unity of zhixing (知行, knowledge and action) from an epistemological perspective. It also explores the potential for collaborative research between scholars from North and South Korea to further develop Yulgok studies. First, the study critically reviews how North Korean researchers reinterpret Yulgok’s thoughts on weifa (未發, not set in motion) and yifa (已發, already in motion), distinguishing between emotional and rational cognition, and analyzing the cognitive process. In particular, it seeks ways for North and South Korean scholars to jointly study Yulgok’s ideas on zhijue (知覺, conscious awareness) and silü (思慮, thoughts and concerns) from an epistemological viewpoint, encompassing both weifa and yifa. Additionally, the study critically investigates the reinterpretation of Yulgok’s thoughts on renxin (人心, human heart-mind) and daoxin (道心, mind of the way) as emotional and rational moral consciousness, respectively, in relation to the cognitive process. It specifically proposes a collaborative approach for North and South Korean scholars to examine the Yulgok school’s perspective on issues such as e’nian (惡念, evil thoughts), funian (浮念, floating thoughts), and piannian (偏念, biased thoughts) from an epistemological standpoint. Subsequently, the paper critically reviews how North Korean researchers reinterpret Yulgok’s thoughts on zhixianxinghou (知先行後, precedence of knowledge over action) and zhixingbingjin (知行竝進, simultaneous advancement of knowledge and action), by distinguishing between idealism and materialism in the context of practical cognition. It particularly acknowledges the academic significance of North Korean researchers extending Yulgok’s thoughts on the unity of knowledge and action from issues of personal cultivation to those of social practice, connecting these ideas with the Silhak 實學 school in a historical context. However, rather than categorizing Yulgok’s thoughts as empiricist epistemology, as North Korean researchers have done, this study suggests developing a new scholarly category of moral-pragmatist epistemology as a framework for joint research between scholars from North and South Korea. The reinterpretation of Yulgok’s thoughts on mind and the unity of knowledge and action by North Korean researchers from a materialist perspective appears to reflect certain political intentions. Nevertheless, the prior research in North Korea indicates the potential for collaborative development in Yulgok studies and offers significant implications for domestic scholars as well.