이광려(李匡呂)의 실심실학(實心實學)과 경세학(經世學)

Abstract

This paper is to review the philosophy of mind and practical theories for the Convenience of common People of Lee Kwang-ryeo(李匡呂), one of the leading scholars of Kanghwa School(江華學派). Formerly most schoars reviewed only the contents of printed edition of The collected works of Lee Kwang-Ryeo(『李參奉集』). But thanks to his newly-discovered manuscript, we have more information on studying about him as a philosopher of mind and an innovator of several fields of practical everyday life. So, we can deal with him more fully. In dealing with his philosophy of mind, we survey his understanding of the philosophy of Wang Shou ren(王守仁), which is one of the elements of Kanghwa School. In his Interpretation of the investigation of things(or rectifying things what is unrectified) and extension of Knowledge(格物致知) in The Great Learning(『大學』), his comprehension is closer to Wang Shou ren’s than Zhu xi(朱熹)’s. On the intuitive knowledge, or good knowledge(良知), and the act of extending it into concrete conduct that Wang Shou ren asserted, he agreed with the intuitive knowledge while opposed to the act of extending it. The reason is that he indefinitely affirmed the entity of natural good mind and grasped the intuitive knowledge as a natural sense. So he insisted the sincere mind(實心) instead of it. And on the basis of sincere mind, he tried to investigate comprehensively and accept critically the philosophy of Zhu xi and the philosophy of Wang Shou ren, furthermore, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. On the other hand, in addition to cultivating his mind, he was deeply interested in several fields which contributed to the lives of common people. For example, he tried to save starving people by introducing sweet potatoes from foreign countries as relief farming plants, and by disseminating Gu-rice(菰米), which was recorded in Chinese classics. And by introducing bricks and wagons, he tried to promote for the convenience of common people’s lives. Besides, he had a profound Knowledge of Wuyuanlu(『無寃錄』), a book of medical jurisprudence, which was ordinarily evaded by common bureaucrats.