『맹자』 王道政治의 이념과 실현 방안

Abstract

Meng-zi sought to relieve the turmoil of the Period of Warring States by resorting to the royal politics of virtue. The most important thing for the royal politics of virtue is Ineuyeji. In other words, the royal politics of virtue stands itself on a fundamental idea that the monarch exerts political authority by turning to virtue itself. By the way, 『Men-zi』, a Chinese ancient literature on Meng-zi’s thoughts, describes practices needed to realize the royal politics of virtue as well as the fundamental idea as mentioned above. Those practices largely focus on the issues of economy, education and role division. First, Meng-zi regarded the nine-square field system or Jeongjeonje as the most essential for realization of the royal politics of virtue. Also, he strongly insisted that both commercial business and transit duties should be abolished. Second, the ancient literature suggests Meng-zi’s theory of duty that discriminates noble men(statesmen) from non-noble ones(peasants) and, accordingly, that peasants have the duty of paying taxes with the outcome of harvest and statesmen have the duty of keeping their livelihood by means of the taxes and, in return, governing the non-nobles and establishing social order. And third, Meng-zi noted that once people become free from problems with food and clothing, they need to be educated. In association, Meng-zi said that prerequisites for the royal politics of virtue are teaching the Five Principles of Ethics like in the times of Yao and Shun’s reign, and opening schools and educating the Morals of Humanity there like in the period of the three dynasties.