이태준, 최대다수의 행복을 꿈꾼 민주주의자 - 해방 이후 이태준의 사상과 문학

Abstract

After liberation on August 1945, Yi Taejun participated at Korean Literati’s Federation and Democratic National Front and proactively cooperated in establishment of the united Korea based on “People’s Democracy.” He understanded People’s Democracy from the point of view of utilitarianism, i.e. ‘the greatest happiness of the greatest numbers.’ Utilitarianism granted an equal right (one-to-one) to all members of Society, regulating that all kinds of social inequality was unrighteous. John Stuart Mill in particular insisted that “human decency,” in other word “the elevation of character” increased contentment of all the community, emphasizing the necessity of educating all members of Society as cultural person. Mill’s argument was selectively accepted by ‘culturist’ in Korea. “Democracy” was important political end spot of ‘culturist,’ becoming theoretical medium which enabling them to accept ‘People’s Democracy’ after liberation. Furthermore, the view of the Korea Communist Party and Soviet Union, regarding the Second World War as a victory of progressive democracies over fascism, was crucial and catalytic to neutrals to easily accept “people’ democracy.”Yi Taejun, after Soviet tour, recognized the necessity of system which could back to realize the “culturism,” and confirmed that “people’s democracy” was just that system. Yi Taejun expressed this kind of belief in the novel <Farmland>, published in August 1947, describing the process of land reform and its legitimacy. However, neutrals, basically supporting gradual social reform, were confronted with communist, who took abrupt change for granted through the class struggle. Moreover, Yi Taejun as a neutralist was losing ground with the establishment of the North and the South Government and under the environments that the political leaders of the two Koreas insisted to establish unified independent Korea through the means of armed forces. He hinted, in his novel <dust> published in early 1950, the year of Korean War’s outbreaking, that the historical mission of neutralist, confessing the impossibility of establishing unified and independent nation through mild and gradual reforms, was eventually finished.