北學議 兵論으로 본 朴齊家의 强兵育成策 硏究

Abstract

This dissertation deals with the discussions of the “Northern Learning Group(Bukhakpa)” who reformed the late Joseon society and ultimately dreamed of Joseon becoming a rich and powerful nation. A representative man of the Northern Learning Group (Bukhakpa) is Park Je-ga. The fact that the name “Bukhakpa” itself is derived from Park's book “Bukhakui” shows Park's position in the Northern Learning Group (Bukhakpa). The reformation ideology of Park Je-ga was so innovative that it was hard to be accepted by ‘Sadaebu (士大夫)’, who had fallen into ‘崇明排淸’ (The idea of worshipping Ming Dynasty and rejecting Qing Dynasty) and regarded Joseon as ‘小中華’ (The idea that Joseon Dynasty is the center of the world). In his representative book “Bukhakui”, Park Jae-ga dreams of Joseon being a rich country and possessing strong military power (富國强兵), and explains the method in detail. The “Bukhakui” is divided into three parts : ‘Naepyun(內篇)’, ‘Woepyun(外篇)’, and ‘Jinsangbon Bukhakui (進上本 北學議)'. In ‘Naepyun’, Park Jae-ga describes the facts about Qing's advanced culture, which he saw and heard through his four time trips to China, and in ‘Woepyun’, he explains the theory and method how to achieve the dream being a rich nation. The ‘Jinsangbon Bukhakui’ was offered to king Jeongjo with the ‘sangsomun’ (korean word for the appeal), adding some clauses about planting and farming equipment to the previously written “Bukhakui”. Most of the Bukhakpa scholars including Park Je-ga have pondered how to get Joseon free from poverty. Therefore, most discussions took place in terms of “rich country (富國)” and “poor relief (求貧)”. However, he seems to have concerned with the side of “rich country (富國)” along with “Strong military power (强兵)”. His worries can be felt in the ‘Woepyun’. He set another clause called ‘Byungron(兵論)’and described how to increase military power. In the 'Byungron', Park Je-ga uses the method of building strong military power ① using a wagon on the battlefield ② building a castle with bricks ③ effort to raise horses and put them in fighting power ④ encouraging technician to develop skills and enhancing Joseon bows ⑤ proposing voluntary military service by paying soldiers salaries. Park's proposal from more than 240 years ago reminds us that ‘don't settle for existing frameworks, boldly accept better institutions by technologies development, develop defense skills and step out to make a form of voluntary military service.’