조선후기 신분제 개혁론의 새로운 지평 - 身名分主義에서 職分主義로의 패러다임의 전환-

Abstract

At the beginning, the social class system was made to be used as a tool for ruling by discriminating people in accordance with their social classes. The social class system was originated from Doctrine for Justice of 'GunGunShinShin BuBuJaJa(君君臣臣父父子子)' mentioned by Confucius meaning "The king should be like a true king; servant be like a true servant; father be like a true father; and child be like a true child. He mentioned such doctrine so that the people could be faithful to their justice based on JeongMyeong (Actuality should be based on Justice.) doing their best on their missions with faith to their duties. Such intention of Confucius had changed to sorting of people into those who would rule and those who would be ruled; and into the noble people and ordinary people; and furthermore into minute class differentiation even in each social sort. The representative differentiation is discrimination of Seo-Eol(庶孼) and Jeok-Seo(嫡庶). Especially in Joseon society, discrimination in accordance with the areas from which the people were was very serious in addition to the discrimination in accordance with the families from which the people were. People in Joseon were strictly discriminated in accordance with their classes and hometowns on their rights and obligations in every field: land ownership, opportunities for engagement into government official jobs, military duty, taxation, punishment and etc. Establishment of such social class based society had contributed to keeping the rule of political power based nation and securing social stabilization. However, as it got more serious, it sometimes caused some social conflict. Therefore, the scholars from SilHak Scholars' Sector late in Joseon advocated reform of the social class system to solve such social contradiction. They tried to establish SaMin System (四民制度: A Social System based on Four Social Classes) based on Doctrine for Duty giving everyone the opportunities for elementary education and allowing them to choose their jobs from Scholar-Farmer-Worker-Merchant system in accordance with their own capabilities beyond the social classes based on Doctrine for Justice: Noble Class, Middle Class, Ordinary Class and Humble Class. They dreamt of an ideal society where everybody would be impartial.