河世應 宗家 所藏 辨誣의 內容과 그 意義 - 鄭仁弘의 李滉 批判을 중심으로 -

Abstract

A research has been made into the contents and their meanings ofa book which is entitled Byeon-mu and kept in the head family of HaSe-eung (1671-1727) located in Sa-gok village, Sugok-myeon, JinjuCity. Overall, the results of this research are summarized as follows. The book entitled Byeon-mu comprises detailed discussions wagedby Jeong In-hong about the critical contention of Yi Hwang that JoSik's scholarship was derived from Confucianism but the concept ofChan-Tzu and many confutations raised by Yi Hwang supporters thatJeong In-hong backbites Yi Hwang in the process of the discussionsbeing conducted. Jeong In-hong contended that Yi Hwang backbitJo Sik, who emphasized specifically Learning the lower and strictlycities sources, on the basis of the thoughts of Chan-Tzu, and that YiHwang had some problems with citing sources and self-restraint andwas not eligible for enshrinement of confucian scholars at theConfucius's Shrine. In response, Yi Hwang supporters also criticizedthat Jeong In-hong backbit an ancient great sage. In turn, JeongIn-hong supporters stood up for Jeong In-hong and said that he didno more than consider slanders waged against the ancient teacher. It is not true that Jo Sik advocated the scholarship of Chan-Tzusince he was more interested in the realities compared to Yi Hwangand more critical to the realities and because Confucian scholarsshould most strictly cite such sources as drawn from those figures thathad not gone into government service. They should not necessarilybackbite the contention raised by Jeong In-hong saying that it is nota right study to develop the doctrine of reason and energy whilemaking neither advance nor withdrawal, but his contention should bemore deeply considered against the developments of the history of artsand sciences occurring between that times in question and the earlypart of the Joseon Dynasty. Once the Joseon Dynasty was established, policies were in place tosuppress Buddhism and promote Confucianism, which had been deeplypracticed in Korea along with Buddhism and Taoism ever since theThree-Dynasty period. Then, orthodox Neo-Confucianism wasintroduced into Korea in the middle of the Goryeo Dynasty and beganto exclude both Buddhism and Taoism, so that people might respectorthodox Neo-Confucianism only. Confucianism supported by Jo Sikpartly recognized Confucianism and the doctrines of Chan-Tzu. Incontrast, Yi Hwang combined the doctrine of reason and energypromoted by Jeong Ju with the doctrine of mind and nature or thementality doctrine and created the doctrine on alternate occurrence ofreason and energy, so that he should be considered as a legitimatechild of orthodox Neo-Confucianism. Jo Sik considered that the doctrines of reason and energy could besufficiently represented by Jeong Ju's theory and contended thatscholars should be well versed in the doctrines and attain the highest mentality level in the realities while practicing the doctrines. He alsoconsidered that what is more important is how to interpret and beadapted to the realities than how to discriminate the human capacityfor ethics and natural emotion. Yi Hwang ’s criticism against Jo Sik is related to his criticism againstNo Su-shin and may be called a development of academic dictatorship,which was established in the process of the political revolt for KingInjo's restoration, in which Jeong In-hong was executed. Reverencefor Ju Hui was one-sidedly practiced scholarship between the deathof Yi Hwang and the fall of the Joseon Dynasty, in which period thedoctrines of Wang Yang-ming and pragmatic Confucianism andnorthern Confucianism were temporarily propagated by some scholarswho were not active in the mainstream of academia. If the scholarship of Nam-myeong should occupy a part of themainstream of academia and politics, the Joseon Dynasty would nothave been subjected easily to the Japanese Imperialism. Even today,few people have interest in practical learning, understand theimportance of it and/or positively conduct various relevant activities. Considering this lack, what need be greatly promoted and developedtoday is people’s concern about and attitude towards learning thelower.