군자지교(君子之交)에서 월경지교(越境之交)로 - 동아시아 우정론 전개 양상Ⅱ -

Abstract

We usually think that friendship is pure. Today, however, even friends tend to calculate according to profits and losses. In this respect, it is necessary to shed historical light on friendship. This is because through the process, we can see the development of friendship changing and gauge the direction ahead. In East Asian society, friendship changes greatly around the 18th century. Of course, before or after the 18th century, voices criticizing the world in which friendship is influenced by the relationship between profit and loss sound common. Despite these commonalities, before the 18th century, friend relationships were viewed in terms of practicing the virtues of being noble to each other. After the 18th century, friends deviate from the framework of the five moral relationships and actually practice humanity beyond status, country, and culture. Before these characteristics were clearly revealed, discussions on the status of trust virtues between friends were actively conducted. As the discussion continued, trust between friends was not limited to friend relationships, but applied to all human relationships. Based on this, friends were re-evaluated as values that could solve problems when revealing crises and limitations in other human relationships. It can be said that the emphasis of friends prepares for the advent of a new society based on trust beyond blood ties.