丽末鲜初儒学之分化及其社会影响

Abstract

During the late Koryo dynasty to earlier Joseon dynasty period, Buddhism’s shortcomings resulted in severe social problems and a profound intellectual crisis. The emerging scholar-officials used the Li (universal principle) of nature as a weapon to explore a solution to social reform, resulting in Traditional Buddhism and Confucianism losing their ability to guide society. This process caused a division between the Confucian scholars such as Lee Saek and Jeong Mong-ju regarding the issues of the dynastic replacement into a conservative school of mind and a radical school of political Confucianism. The conservative school emphasized the need for Confucianism’s moral education and advocated reform within the framework of the Koryo dynasty, whereas the radical school emphasized a more pragmatic reform and advocated for the replacement of the dynasty. The two schools disagreed on which state system would be applicable, the exclusion of Buddhism and the reverence for Confucianism, and the reform of the field system. While the two schools’philosophies alluded to the political Confucianism and mind Confucianism, the entire Joseon dynasty regime system was impacted negatively. Both the political Confucianism and mind Confucianism originated from Confucius, with the former seeking to build a social organization beyond the individual and aiming to re-establish an ideal social-political order through rites, laws, and social norms. Mind Confucianism focuses on individual morality and the intrinsic nature of the natural law and is dedicated to cultivating one’s own ethics and morality while exploring the origin of life ontology or the universe and time. It further has an individual inner nature and a strong tendency towards moral idealism. This study takes the eastward spread of Li (universal principle) during the period from the Late Koryo Dynasty to Earlier Joseon Dynasty as a starting point. It further examines the process of the internal division and competition between the emerging scholar-official powers. It explores the theoretical value and practical significance of political Confucianism and spiritual Confucianism. Furthermore, it elucidates the localized features of the Li (universal principle) of nature and its objective effects after its introduction to Korea.