숭조에 대한 선진유교사상의 원형과 실제

Abstract

Unlike today, in the ancient society of Pre-Chin period, productive capacity only depended on population. The population growth had great effects on prosperity of a family, a society and a nation. Reproductive activities were much accounted of to obtain homogeneity and perpetuity of the clans and to maintain everlasting society. And this had established naturally as ancestor worship. The thought of Choon Choo period people on ancestors and kings influenced greatly on establishing the theoretical basis of filial piety and perfect virtue, which is the fundamental of primitive Confucianism. Ancestor worship of Pre-Chin society built up a characteristic pattern of recognition on identifying their kings with their ancestors and became an important factor in formulating the view on nation as identifying a nation with a family, and thus provided the basis of clan rules and perfect virtue thought which is the fundamental of Pre-Chin Confucianism. Loyalty and filial duty based on ancestor worship caused the advent of male-oriented closed patriarchal society by enforcing clan rules through ritual ceremonies and the shrine of royal ancestors practically, and became political doctrine for maintaining the established national system. The perfect virtue that has been established from Pre-Chin Confucianism with various significance of Confucianism principles has been regarded as of great importance , not only because it has strong practical adaptability with various ethical virtue but also because it made the members of society feel the identification by having the same originality with the broad conception of filial duty for ancestor as the origin of life. It can be said that this concept of perfect virtue helped the Confucian form the idea that males are accounted much of in view of reproduction, whereas the Taoists regard females ( who symbolize tenderness in 'Canon on Tao and Virtue' ) as of great importance.