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Tracing the Origin of Jeong-arm’s Moral Political Ideology

서인희 1

1대전둔원고등학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

Seong-Ri Hahk(性理學), Neo-Confucianism in the Chinese Song Dynasty introduced at the late Koryeo Dynasty has changed the function of onfucianism, which was considered to be a means of entering government service or achieving academic goals, into political ideology to suggest social philosophy. In particular, at the late period of Koryeo Dynasty, the revolutionary scholars of Seong-Ri Hahk tried to realize their dream of building new Yae-Jae Cultural Society(禮制文化史會), which, when it came to the period of King Saejong, came true certainly enough to remind the Age of Joo in China. However, Jeong-arm(靜菴) criticized that King Sae-jo’(世祖)s seizing the throne and King Yeon-san(連山)’s tyranny brought about crimes against humanity and anti-civilization, leading to the historic retrogression. He also thought that it was especially serious for people in the leadership to lose the vision toward cultivated society. His awareness of those worrying reality resulted in Moral Political Ideology, based on Moral Philosophy, a practical moral idea. Moral Philosophy(道學政治) established during the Song Dynasty means Ji-Chi(至治), an deal politics represented by Soo-Ji-Chi-In-Ji-Hahk(修己治人之學) and Nae-Seong-Wae-Wang-Ji-Doh(內聖外王之道) and is rooted from Doh-Tong(道統) Theory which continued through the Age of Yo and Syun and Mencius. Establishing Dae-Dong Society(大同社會) by a means of Ji-Chi is thought an ideal of Moral Philosophy and an active, practical way of fulfilling a dream. Moral Philosophy was Jeong-arm’s political belief to make a civilized society through Gi-Chi come true. But the success of Ji-Chi depended on a King having a virtue, so he emphasized Soong-Jeong-Hahk(崇正學), Jeong-in-sim(正人心), Beob-Seong-Hyon(法聖賢), and Heu-Ji-Chi(興至治) over and over to the current king, Joong-jong. These four phrases are not only the essence of his academic and political belief but also another way of expressing Soo-Ji-Chi-In-Ji-Hahk and Nae-Seong-Wae-Wang-Ji-Doh. As you can see, Jeong-arm’s Moral Philosophy is based on a belief that since the period of Yo-Soon(堯舜) and Mencius, people succeeded to the tradition of truth, Doh-Tong and learned truth. It’s also grounded on another belief that truth has to be pursued in a real life and people are supposed to take part in the history of truth. We can say that his awareness of the conflicting issues and his will to resolve them originated from these beliefs. He was involved in several social reforms and ended up being killed as a sacrifice of Gi-Myo Sa-Hwa(己卯士禍). Even though he politically failed, he led young followers to build a civilized society and will be remembered as the first political thought leader of Chosun Dynasty who realized Ji-Chi based on Moral Philosophy.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.