<주례(周禮)>의 체제와 유교이념

Abstract

This thesis is to examine the system and Confucian ideology of Zhouli. It is a known fact that Zhouli is one of Confucian scriptures and it records the system of public posts in Zhou (周) Dynasty. There are many different theories on when Zhouli was established but it is generally believed that Zhouli was established after the late Warring States period and; regarding its author, Zhouli was not written by a single person but by several authors who added their opinions on materials on old systems of Qin Dynasty after collecting relevant materials and; the book served as an important reference on establishing government systems in traditional societies regardless of its authenticity. Based on the Confucian view with unity of heaven and human, Zhouli contains Confucian ideologies of ruling by propriety (禮治) and benevolence (仁). Though Zhouli has some elements from School of Law, it is mainly with ruling by propriety, a Confucian form for political organizations. Confucian once idealized the ruling order of Xizhou (西周) period which is called Zhouli and argued restoration and retention of ruling order with propriety in the political realm. As the term of ‘propriety (禮)’ includes meanings of ruling by propriety [禮治] and the way of heaven (天道) and the ruling based on ‘propriety’ is to keep social order with ‘propriety,’ it means legal features are already included in the significance of ‘propriety.’ The grounds of arguing the ruling by propriety (禮治), not legalism (法治), were reflection of Confucian theory on ideal politics that sought establishment of the Great Unity by people’s voluntary participation, not by heteronomy.