『中庸』의 世界觀 - ‘천(天)ㆍ귀신(鬼神)ㆍ명(命)’에 대한 관점을 중심으로

Abstract

This essay investigates Heaven(天), spiritual being(鬼神) and Mandate of Heaven(命) which constitute the outlook of the world of The Doctrine of the Mean. An outlook of the world reflects the current thought of the times. So it makes us determine the time of being written and the contention of The Doctrine of the Mean. Heaven(天) in The Doctrine of the Mean is the origin of the human nature(性), the creator and fosterer of all things and the administrator of human affairs by the rule of the accord of virtue and fortune(德福一致). And also spiritual beings(鬼神) in The Doctrine of the Mean have the characteristic of administrating human affairs by that rule. The meaning of Mandate of Heaven(命) in The Doctrine of the Mean also is the order or the throne given by Heaven by that rule. These facts are suggestive of two kinds. One is on the time of being written of The Doctrine of the Mean. It has the possibility of not being written between the time of The Confucius Analects and Mencius. The outlook of the world of The Doctrine of the Mean is similar to that of Qin(秦)-Han(漢) shift times. The other one is on the contention of The Doctrine of the Mean. The contention inferred from the outlook of the world of this book is as such: If a man cultivates human nature well and realizes equilibrium and harmony to the highest, Heaven gives him a throne. Consequently the world becomes full of liveliness. Till now The Doctrine of the Mean has been read from a standpoint of moral training, to put it more concretely, a standpoint of moral metaphysics because of Chu Hsi(朱熹)`s influence. But the outlook of the world of this book implies strongly the theory that a sage should be a king. It may be the final contention of this book. The Doctrine of the Mean requires open ways of reading.