농산(農山) 신득구(申得求) 천설(天說)의 학계 평가와 실천적 해석

Abstract

This study set out to examine Nongsan Shin Deuk-gu's problematic consciousness related to "There is the human mind in the Heaven, as well," which is the most controversial in his Neo-Confucian theory, as well as implications behind his problematic consciousness in a practical aspect. The Neo-Confucian community, especially the Kiho Academy, showed very diverse patterns in late Josun. The most prominent ones include the criticism of the Kiho Academy's traditional positions and the resulting branching of the academy. There must have been various factors behind its academic conflicts and resulting branching in late Josun, but the factors were expressed in synthetic ways. The factors include the unique situations of late Josun, reactions to them from intellectuals, academic conflicts accumulated inside the academy, and the problematic consciousness of Neo-Confucian scholars trying to end the conflicts. It is Shin Deuk-gu that actively expressed this philosophical problematic consciousness of the Kiho Academy in late Josun. He gave an explanation by saying, "There is the human mind in the Heaven, as well." His explanation is not, however, his argument that the Heaven itself is the human mind implicating both good and evil. That is, abnormality in excess or deficiency can never be called good in a phenomenological dimension and thus can be explained with the human mind in a contrast dimension according to him. By saying "There is the human mind in the Heaven, as well," he aimed to argue that the reality of excess or deficiency and abnormality represent the various confusing aspects of the times and should be overcome through people's practical efforts. That is, the human mind is the mind of the Heaven and Earth. The evil human mind should be always controlled by Dosim. His statement reflects his worries as a true moralist trying to restore the reality of excess or deficiency and abnormality into the reality of normality.