茶山의 儒家 문학관과 詩文學

Abstract

This study examined how Dasan succeeded the traditional Confucian view of literature and how such view had a constructive effect on Dasan's theory and poetry. It also examined the relationship between the traditional Confucian view of literature and Realist Confucianism and the difference between quotation and priming. Recently, there are certain researchers who argue that Realist Confucianism is completely different from the Confucian view of literature or who cannot tell the difference between quotation and priming. Considering that Dasan emphasized purification of mind along with the traditional Confucian view of literature on ‘Munijaedo’․‘Sogi’․‘Wanmulsangji’․‘Onyudonhu’․‘Samusa’, he basically succeeded the Confucian view of literature. However, one of the characteristics of Dasan's literature and poetry was that his philosophy was more specific with emphasis on practicality and practice than the literatures of Confucian taoists and thinkers from the early and mid Joseon Dynasty. Dasan realistically depicted the lives of commoners in agony through his social poetry and fable poetry and expressed his resistance against the irrationality of rulers. Modern researchers called this Realist Confucianism, but this is only to distinguish him from the Confucian thinkers of early/mid Joseon Dynasty and can be a characteristic of Neo-Confucianism from the late Joseon Dynasty. If the practical aspect of Gyeonghwasajok (the ruling class based in Seoul) from the 17th and 18th Centuries is deeply related to the mundane lives of each individual, Dasan’s practical and active poetry and literature have a social aspect to it. Therefore, Dasan's poetry and literature were developed from the universal view of literature of traditional Confucianism. Those who emphasized practical philosophy in the late Joseon Dynasty were classified into Realist Confucianism and named Realist Confucianists. Dasan was one of them and emphasized practice. However, this characteristic of Dasan's literature should not be perceived as a new academic style from the late Joseon Dynasty, but it is the traditional succession of Confucian's universal view of literature. Only the emphasis of practicality has been perceived as Realist Confucianism by the descendants. Therefore, the researchers who perceive Realist Confucianism separate from the universal view of literature of Confucius should think otherwise.