禮記 喪葬觀의 人文意識

Abstract

For about 300 years from Chunchu Jeonkuk(春秋戰國) times throughout Chin-Han(秦漢), Gongmuchilshipja(孔門七十子) and their younger scholars had much contributed much to giving their opinion about Confucianist idea, and to its amendment and development. The contribution is mainly found in Yeigi, 禮記 which was edited at the early Han times. As a matter of fact, the extent of ceremony in the early Jin times of ancient China was very wide-ranging, covering nearly all the categories including political institutions, code of laws, ritual-praying to the Creator of the universe, education systems, conquest-war by military forces, and the necessities of life, marriages and funerals, discourse & behavior(言談擧止), and etc., which all contain politics, economics, military matters, rules & institutions, training of individual moral principles as well as behavioral rules. The chapters of Yeigi, 禮記 referring specially to funeral ceremony are volume I, II of <Dankoong, 檀弓>, <Hoijamoon, 曾子問>, <Sangboksogi, 喪服小記>, <Daejeon, 大傳>, volume I, II of <Japgi, 雜記>, <Sangdaegi, 喪大記>, <Bunsang, 奔喪>, <Munsang, 問喪>, <Bokmoon, 服問>, <Sannyeonmoon, 三年問>, <Ganjeon, 間傳>, and <Sangboksajei, 喪服四制>, which is equivalent to one fourth of the whole in number. Therefore, the exact analysis of the contents related with funeral ceremony of Yeigi, 禮記 would be very helpful for the exact understanding of Confucian culture and for understanding the characteristics of politics, thought, and social institutions. Consequently, this thesis would look into the formation & background of mourning-funeral theory, its humane meaningfulness, and the function of mourning-funeral, in Yeigi, 禮記.