湛軒 洪大容의 性理學的 見解 小考

Abstract

The 18^(th) century when Damheon Hong Daeyong(1731～1783) was working can be said to be the period when a wide variety of academic traditions were predominant in terms of the flow of the history of Korean thought. This thesis gave attention to the fact that Damheon Hong Daeyong was a Confucian scholar who succeeded Yulgok and Uam, the masters of Joseon Neo-Confucianism in both lineage and school ties as well as a prominent figure of Silhak (Realist School of Confucianism) which appeared newly after both wars. Thus, by making 『Saseomunui』among his many writings as the main research material, this thesis attempted to review and highlight the basic perspective and ideological foundation about understanding of scriptures of Damheon Hong Daeyong who can be said to be the founder of Bukhakpa (Northern learning school) among Silhak scholars in the late of Chosun Dynasty. As Hong Daeyong inherited some elements of rationalism of the teachings of Chu-tzu and rational⋅this world focused spirit of Confucius and Mencius Confucianism based on the new environment of the times and formed his new thought by uniting⋅accepting useful contents of heresy thought such as teachings of Wang Yangming⋅Lao-tzu and Zhunangzi⋅Buddhism⋅Catholicism⋅Mukga etc. and performance of Western science and technology etc., a new aspect could not help but be possessed. Nevertheless, Neo-Confucian elements meant to be in his epistemology can be understood as indicating limits of the times belonging to the second stage of history of Silhak development along with the fetters of the social environment of the time that conceived his thought. In this regard, Hong Daeyong is enough to be evaluated as a progressive thinker who prepared for ideological conversion of the late of Chosun Dynasty corresponding to the new environment.