19세기 전반 민, 지식인, 문자관에 대한 시론

Abstract

The early part of the 19th century was a time of marked contrasts inJoseon. While the state gradually hardened, and the censorship of thoughtbecame more aggressive, its people began to express themselves with evermore vitality in response to the accumulating flood of information andknowledge which was entering the country. This essay reviews the relevantresearch which has been carried out so far to analyze the complexity of the19th century, and highlights the contribution made by some liberalintellectuals. There follows a more specific examination of someintellectuals at the periphery, in which three types or categories can betentatively recognized：first, there were some intellectuals who withdrew into their own private or specialized world；second, there were some whoemphasized the Confucian cultural continuity between Joseon and China;and third, there were others who were groping for a new system of thought,or a new value system. Finally, I examine the general assessment ofcharacter, finding it to be relatively stable and persistent. The fact that the19th century view of what constituted a good or bad character differed littlefrom that of the late 18th century shows that the centripetal force ofConfucian culture was still powerful.