『맹자(孟子)』 : 민(民)과 국가(國家)의 긴장 - 여민(與民) 경세론(經世論)의 성격 -

Abstract

The Mencius was regarded as the basis of the Confucian thought with the concepts such as the royal-government[王道政治], the change of dynasty [易姓革命], and the ancient democracy[民本]. In this context I studied two historical aspects of his thought, ① the legitimacy that the state could rule the people in early agricultural society, ② the multi-dimensional character of the thought of the sharing-with-the people[與民同之] and its historical meaning. During the Warring States period, there were tension between the peasants of the communities and the public power in the state. First, Mencius insisted that the state should not fight with the people for the benefit. Second, he suggested the maintenance of the family that was a system to reproduce species and economy as the least condition. Mencius mentioned several levels of welfare, which could be accomplished in sphere of culture, economy, physiology and politics through the sharingwith-the-people. The basis of the welfare might be the stability of the peasant community based on family-labour. The hill, forest, pond, river and mud-flat were the sources for living and playground of people. At the age of the Warring States period, these spaces were changed into the forbidden land and the people who used them timely lost their acquainted places. Mencius considered these commons being monopolized by the king as traps that the people might fall into. These commons were not the disposable properties but the unalienable rights of using as the universal welfare. This is the reason why I considered this theme in the land of no legal and historical reflection on the commons.