조선시대 경연에서 『예기』 「악기」가 논의된 양상 -숙종⋅영조조를 중심으로-

Abstract

The “Yueji” chapter of the Liji is one of the reading materials adopted in the Royal Lectures during the Joseon dynasty. However, a sufficient amount of records on the Royal Lectures was not provided until the reign of King Sukjong. Based on the records during the earlier Joseon dynasty, it is hardly possible to elucidate the main viewpoint of discussing “Yueji” since most discussions soon shift the topic to current affairs regarding music. In the earlier Joseon period, discussions on music centered around correcting inappropriate music, but in the later period, moral cultivation became a central issue. In line with this main distinction between the earlier and later periods, discussions on “Yueji” in the Royal Lectures during the reigns of King Sukjong and King Yeongjo mainly focus on the moral cultivation of the king. However, this main focus is dealt with in a different context from “Yueji”; while “Yuej” describes the effect of moral cultivation by means of ritual and music, in the Royal Lectures it is argued that the king needs to cultivate himself in order to achieve the same governing effect as those of ritual and music whose exemplary form does not exist any more. This argument can be understood as a reinterpretation of “Yueji” from a Neo- Confucian perspective with an intention to put the power of the supreme ruler under control of subjects. The moral cultivation of the king is also one of the main focuses of attention in the Royal Lectures during King Yeongjo’s reign; however, dissimilar to previous approaches to “Yueji”, King Yeongjo shows interest in sound and pitch. This new approach can be interpreted as an intention to strengthen the supreme ruler’s position as the establisher of ritual and music instead of being recommended cultivation from his subordinates. Based on the records of the Royal Lectures on “Yueji” during the reigns of King Sukjong and King Yeongjo, it can be suggested that emphasis on the moral cultivation of the king is entailed from a Neo-Confucian reinterpretation of the cultivation theory advanced in “Yueji”, while discussions on the components of music, such as sound and pitch, can be understood as a counterargument that reinforces the status of the king.