조선시대의 성담론과 性

Abstract

Currently, 'the modern age' is a dominant keyword in the description of the history of Korean literature. This is also true in researching prose in Chinese character which was written during the late Chosun period, especially in selecting and evaluating some of prose works. But in fact, the modern age is what was experienced only by the West and then transplanted into the non-West societies. This means that the modern age could not exist in Chosun society at all. Nevertheless, previous studies on the histories of Korea and Korean history have been trying to find the modern age, which didn't actually exist, within those of the late Chosun period and Korean history. The existence, if any, is undoubtedly contradictory. Taking the modern age as a criterion to describe the history of Korean literature or research the prose of the late Chosun period in Chinese character is contradictory because it is like trying to find what the Western literature is within the literature of Chosun. Thus it is clear that the Western literature couldn't exist as it was within the literature of Chosun. Accepting that the modern age existed within the literature of Chosun is like making the same literature incomplete, resultantly distorting literal phenomena of the late Chosun period that actually existed. Now it is clear there's no reason for trying to find the modern age within the literature of the late Chosun period. This means that it is necessary to not only separate the words, 'the modern age' from the late Chosun period, but also restart from the initial point with all discussions based on the same words removed.