영조대 재지사족의 재난 경험과 기록의 정보화: 구상덕의 『승총명록』을 중심으로

Abstract

Gu Sangdeok, a local Confucian scholar rooted in Goseong, Gyeongsang province was a figure who lived in an age of disaster during the reign of King Yeongjo. In his Journal named Seungchongmyeongnok 勝聰明錄, literally meaning “a bright record that can surpass the intelligent”, he transcribed numerous disasters he had experienced to the brink of his death. Therefore, in order to trace Gu Sangdeok’s life and examine his actions and mind thoroughly, it is necessary to look closely at the aspects and effects of the disaster he had experienced. As a member of a declining aristocrat, Gu Sangdeok, dreamed of achieving fame and prestige through the passing of the civil service entrance examination, like any other scholar. However, since the early 1730s, the activities of Gu Sangdeok regarding the preparation of the exam had already decreased significantly. The major factor that dampened his studies was the experience of the critical Imgye Great Famine (1732-1733), which is considered the greatest disaster during the reign of Yeongjo. After he underwent this tragic period, Gu sporadically took the exam, but by 1743, he had completely ceased any attempt to pass the exam altogether. The disaster had a great influence on Gu in the sense that it alienated him from the civil service entrance examination, which had a significant meaning in the life of scholars during the Joseon Dynasty. Meanwhile, it is also necessary to savor the meaning of the records that Gu Sangdeok left in his journal. A journal is the most faithful archive regarding one person’s life. The contents of the journal allows us to navigate where the author's interests and intentions are. Seungchongmyeongrok can be characterized by the fact that it has devoted a lot of space to diagnosing and predicting disasters. Its author Gu Sangdeok mobilized various routes and available resources to collect and store disaster-related information in his diary. Since the 1730s, records had become gradually systematized and formalized. Its diverse and rich contents progressed from fragmentary weather-oriented information to crop, disaster, price fluctuation, and grain inventory. Most of the journal’s disaster-related records were made by enthusiasticly combining the contents of agricultural books with knowledge gained from his everyday experience, which is believed to reflect the growing practical interest in climate forecasting at the time. These disaster-related information and records were used as a basis for diagnosing the scale of the tragedies and seeking a breakthrough. In reality, however, it was unclear at what stage of life the disaster would strike. In the face of an unexpected crisis, people of the village, including Gu Sangdeok, sought to unite and overcome it together. The local community, where the spirit of reciprocity and cooperation is carried out, could be the most effective place to deal with and prepare for disasters. The life and records of Gu Sangdeok can also be said to be a faithful example of this spirit.