深齋 曺兢燮의 「非共和論」 연구

Abstract

Seen from a broader view, Joseon's acceptance of the Western modern civilization was sort of an integration of another civilization into the conventional one of the country. When they meet with each other, two heterogeneous cultures are necessarily accompanied by conflicts. In its earlier modern times, this country was in more severe confusion due to invasion by foreign powers. For this reason, most of the then Confucian scholars tried to overcome national crises through more sticking to the doctrines of Confucianism. But the Confucianists couldn't thoroughly keep themselves away from the Western civilization, for any of them couldn't avoid influences from their times. Thus, if we examine how legitimate Confucian scholars who lived between the late Joseon and the Japanese periods rejected the Western civilization on one hand, but accepted and fused it into their inner world on the other hand, we would be able to more clearly determine the historical significance of the earlier modern times of this nation and what the then Confucian scholars actually were. One of the representative Confucian scholars of Yeongnam region, Simjae Jo Geung Seop wrote 「Non-Republicanism」(1912), an interesting book that claimed protecting Confucianism, but at the same time, partially accepting the Western civilization. In fact, Joseon never considered other political regimes than monarchy whose orientation was the royal authority over bureaucrats. But as constitutional monarchy and Republicanism were introduced from the West, some Confucian scholars including Jo Geung Seop had to seriously deliberate on such 'political regimes that had been beyond their recognition. The Western modern civilization shocked Jo Geung Seop to deeply reconsider the nature of 'state' itself. While understanding Western ideas like 'liberty' and 'equality' in his own way, he criticized the limitations of Republicanism and pursued the restoration of rule by the sage king, or the royal regime. Thus, 「Non-Republicanism」 reflected the non-political Confucian scholar Simjae's agonies about 'modernization' and at the same time represented the acceptance and integration of the Western civilization into Joseon of the earlier modern times.