박은식 유교구신론의 철학적 기획:구학(舊學)에서 신학(新學)으로의 전환을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper aims to shed light on the philosophical project of Park Eun-sik’s theory of renovation of Confucianism with focus on his idea of transforming “old learning” (guhak 舊學, Confucianism) into “new learning” (sinhak 新學, philosophy and science). In his early days, Park Eun-sik’s conception of “religion” (jonggyo 宗敎) was the “supreme teaching” able to control Western science and technology, and it represents the theory of “Eastern Tao and Western vessel” (東道西器). However, from 1905, taking the position of active westernization, Park Eun-sik began to think that the traditional “old learning” should be reformed and transformed into a system of “new learning.” In other words, his article “Theory of Renovation of Confucianism,” on the one hand, intends to develop Confucianism as a religion in the Western sense, and on the other hand, implies a plan to transform Neo-Confucianism into philosophy. In particular, the third argument that the methodology of self-cultivation should be changed to Yangming learning instead of Zhuzi learning contains the idea of adopting Yangming learning in a methodological dimension as a way for the philosophical transformation of Chosun Neo-Confucianism. Criticizing the outdated Confucianists of the time, he argued that Korean philosophy seeks to occupy a part in world philosophy by studying comparatively Chosun Neo-Confucianism with Western philosophy. The universalistic and nationalistic aspects of his philosophical project continued into his later years, but changes were seen in his interpretation of Yangming learning. In his last work, he suggested his own final interpretation concerning the similarity and difference between Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming. As a function of mind having knowledge and morality, liangzhi 良知 (innate knowledge) is not the original substance, but the ability of fundamental enlightenment. His perspective to explain liangzhi in the framework of zhijue 知覺 (cognition) is similar to Kanghwa school (Korean Yangming school) combining Zhuzi Learning and Yangming learning. While Park Eun-sik’s view is based on the tradition of Chosun Neo-Confucianism, it has the characteristics of pursuing universal science and philosophy. Park Eun-sik is worthy of being evaluated as a pioneer who established the characteristics and direction of contemporary Korean philosophy.