선진시대 巫覡의 탈정치화와 사회적 인식변화에 관한 小考

Abstract

This paper examines the political roles of Wu-Xi (shamans) during the Pre-Qin period and the gradual process of their depoliticization and marginalization. In the Yin (Shang) Dynasty, Wu-Xi held significant power, conducting divinations for both personal and state affairs, and often influencing royal decisions as sacred intermediaries. With the rise of the Zhou Dynasty, political ideology shifted to the Mandate of Heaven, moral rule (德治), and ritual governance (禮治). These changes marked the beginning of Wu-Xi’s political decline. The Zhou rulers distanced themselves from shamanic traditions to establish new legitimacy, limiting the role of Wu-Xi to ceremonial functions or excluding them entirely. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Wu-Xi were relegated to folk society and gradually became objects of suspicion. The emergence of Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, and Legalism further marginalized their status, as rational and moral philosophies replaced the mystical authority of shamans. Excavated documents and transmitted texts illustrate growing skepticism toward Wu-Xi. Their medical roles (巫醫) also declined as professional medicine advanced. By the late Warring States period, Wu-Xi were largely excluded from political life and culturally redefined as ignorant or superstitious figures. This study sheds light on the historical transformation of Wu-Xi and offers a new lens for understanding the changing structure of power and belief in early Chinese civilization.