노자 이상정치의 양민(養民)론 연구

Abstract

This study tries to examine political consciousness helping people lead their normal lives on their own, that is emphasized in Lao-tzu’s thought, in conjunction with a Lao-tzu’s idea of ideal society, and tries to analyze, on the basis of spontaneity (自然), a process of forming political consciousness of yangmin (養民). Appraisals of Lao-tzu’s political idea diverge greatly into two perspectives. One is to regard Lao-tzu’s political theory of non-action as a highly sophisticated strategy of the autocrat for his reign. Other is regard it as political philosophy emphasized in Taoism, along with the theory of cultivation (修養論). It can be said that Lao-tzu’s political thought evaluated as a high level of the political strategy is related to political craft of Hwangro studies (黃老學), and is also equivalent to Taoism politicized for reactionary ideas against Confucianism. Notwithstanding bisected appraisals of Lao-tzu’s political idea, it can be said that Lao-tzu developed perception of individual essentiality intrinsic, and its autonomy based on the world order of ‘spontaneity (自然)’. This is a significant ground so as to interpret relationship of political implication between the army and people in the ideal society that Lao-tzu pursues. Furthermore, to the extent that Lao-tzu’s political awareness politicized by the underlying order of the nature world through non-doing (無爲) emphasizes a role of the monarch in order for people’s own lives, sogukgwamin (小國寡民, a small country with few citizens) equates to an emblematic concept that is indicative of his ideal politics. Also, given that Lao-tzu expounds, on a basis of the nature of individual, spontaneity (自然), people’s lives led by themselves, his consciousness of yangmin (養民) comes to be politicized in sogukgwamin (小國寡民).