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Contents and Features of Manuscript of ‘Collections of Practical Texts’ that Pupils at Seodang Read

CHON KYOUNGMOK 1

1한국학중앙연구원

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In the late Joseon period, pupils from non-yangban family also went to either seodang or saejae to learn classical Chinese and study basic Confucian scriptures. Because it was impossible for them to become national administrators by passing the national civil service examination, non-yangban pupils studied in preparation for working as low-ranking officials at local government offices or older students in local educational institution without problems in the future. Thus, they devoted themselves to learn practical texts such as petitions rather than the scriptures of Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism. It was manuscript of ‘Collections of Practical Texts’ that those pupils read as learning materials. Published in various forms to meet readers’ social status and/or their need, the collections consisted of all sorts of documents, forms of letters, and novels in general according to some existing Collections. Pupils learned and practiced forms of various documents, letters, and novels through their teacher at seodang. Petitions included in the Collections are useful sources to research the society of the time, for they reflect diverse aspects of life and social conflicts of the time. At the same time, the petitions are considered to be significant materials through which what non-yangban pupils studied would be examined in detail.

Citation status

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