『世說新語』의 언어를 통해 본 사회 현상 및 그 의미

Abstract

The Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties was one of the most chaotic periods in Chinese history, but it also produced the most diverse cultural phenomena. Shih-Shuo Hsin-Yu(世說新語) reflects the characteristics of the literati of the time, such as the Scholars scorn each other, Character evaluation, Look up to the past and look down on the present, Metaphysical idle talk. The rude words, eloquent words, and euphemisms discussed in this essay are both the characteristics and the ills of intellectuals. Despite prevalence of literary criticism and character evaluation, it was not right to criticize or gossip about others, and even in the midst of the metaphysical idle talk, we can see that eloquent words alone are not true eloquence, but rather a value that must be accompanied by actions and character. The tradition of ‘Look up to the past and look down on the present’, which naturally became the language of the intellectuals, could express the intellect and dignity of the speaker, and this tradition of the Look up to the past and look down on the present’, in particular, has become a distinctive feature of the Chinese people's search for identity in the classics. Shih-Shuo Hsin-Yu values inherent in them, such as not gossiping and not letting words run wild, are still valued even in the current era of AI ethics.