曆數原理를 통해본 先秦 儒學의 小人과 君子

Abstract

This paper examines the meaning of a common man and a wise man that is mentioned in various scriptures on confucianism before Jin Dynasty according to the change of time, focusing on principle of inherence and postnatal nature, which is a main idea of Yeoksu principle, the way of Providence. The foundation of existence of a common man and a wise man is based on Yeoksu principle, the way of Providence as a problem of humans. Therefore, the relationship between a common man and a wise man can be clear when it is examined in terms of Yeoksu principle. Yeoksu principle is principle of inherence and postnatal nature. Inherence and postnatal nature are a single existence so the former is worked by the latter and vice versa. Change from inherence to postnatal nature occurs when the latter is changed into the former. When inherence and postnatal nature is discussed in terms of human principle, inherence grows through learning and postnatal nature is to combine virtues by achieving a principle. Therefore, The main issue of inherence is learning and that of postnatal nature, practicing it. The person who learns in inherence is called a common man and the one who practices learning in postnatal nature, a wise man. Therefore, a common man can be transformed to a wise man by learning. The premise of change from inherence to postnatal nature is change from postnatal nature to inherence. Base on this, when examining the relationship between a common man and a wise man, a goal of a common man is to be a wise man by learning. A wise man is a being that a common man achieves a principle. However, regardless of being a common man or a wise man, xingming principle(性命之理) is the same. A common man is a planted fruit and a wise man, a re-bearing seed. Therefore, the two entities are the single body and at the same time divided one.