유가철학에 나타난 ‘孝’관의 현실적 의의 - 『論語』의 ‘幾諫’관을 중심으로-

Abstract

The Analects of Confucius intends to resolve parents’ faults through the view of ‘jijian(幾諫).’ Many conventional scholars such as Zhu Xi interpret this ‘jijian’ as “If your parents made mistake, modestly advise.” However, although being able to prevent secondary faults, such an interpretation cannot resolve the initial faults that have been already committed. In particular, in cases where the faults are not minor mistakes but are serious crimes such as murder, the significance of ‘modestly advise’ cannot but be weakened. Wang Fuzhi, who recognized this problem, does not interpret ‘ji(幾)’ in ‘jijian(幾諫)’ as ‘modesty’ or ‘hiding’ but does interpret it as ‘sign.’ Wang Fuzhi interprets ‘jijian’ as “When your parents are about to commit a fault, see the sign and advise them.” According to this view, since children always watch the movements of their parents, they can sense the sign of what their parents are about to do. Therefore, when parents are about to commit a fault, children can see the sign first and give advice to parents. Such acts of children not only can prevent parents’ initial faults but also identify parents’ health conditions to prevent diseases. According to Wang Fuzhi, the attitude “to give advice to parents with reduced vigor, gentle face, and soft voice” is not the essence but a method of giving advice. The essence of giving advice is preventing parents’ fault. Therefore, seeing the sign first when parents are about to commit a fault and giving advice is the main body of giving advice and the attitude to give advice courteously is the action of giving advice. Today, when various forms of problems occur due to parents’ faults leading to increases in family troubles, such views of ‘jijian(幾諫)’ can contribute to the maintenance of family peace by preventing parents’ faults in advance and can help the formation of peaceful family culture by preventing the lack of filial piety of children, who neglect parents for the reason of various circumstances thereby making parents lonely.