「辨謗辭同副承旨疏」의 논리구조로 본 西學논의의 주요쟁점과 그 의의

Abstract

Dasan(茶山) had been attacked by political opponents on suspicion in connection with Western Studies(西學) even before he was sent into exile. Accordingly, he committed on Western Studies for the record of two appeals(上疏): 「An appeal statement to explain an abuse and to decline an post of Royal Secretariate(辨謗辭同副承旨疏)」 and 「An appeal statement to decline an post of Assistant Secretary of Justice(辭刑曹參議疏)」. In the light of these contents, Dasan’s recognition on Western Studies of which he accepted at his early age and made a denial can be described as follows. First, although Dasan understood Western Studies with supplementary Confucianism(補儒論的 西學) through Western missionaries’ books in Chosun society(東傳漢文西學書) on his own way, he regarded it not as actually the philosophy of Christianity in the middle age or the Western civilization in this modern age but as a kind of Confucianism. Second, he chose a concrete system that is practicable to the reality rather than a religious Utopia. Third, he washed his hands of the Western Studies, because he determined that the prohibition of the Papal court to abolish a religious service was estranged from the Chosun society. Finally, Dasan recognized the Western Studies as a new type of Confucianism. That is, he thought that the limits of the power structure as same as tradition of Chosun society could be overcome through a new and explicit interpretation of the scriptures in that point in time. However, it would be proper that he perceived that this study had a pseudo-philosophy (its limits) with the abolition of memorial service, and subsequently, severed his connection with Western Studies.