李玄逸의 四端七情論

Abstract

The debate over the four buddings and seven feelings (or the Four-Seven Debate) is the most important intellectual dispute in the history of Korean Confucianism. This debate broke out at first between Yi Toegye (1501-1571) and Ki Kobong (1527-1572), and then between Yi Yulgok (1536-1584) and Sung Ugye (1535-1598). This then caused a confrontation between two Confucian schools, namely the so-called li -centered school and ki -centered school. As a representative of the li -centered school, Yi Hyeonil (1627-1704) wrote an article entitled Criticism of Yi Yulgoks views on the Four Buddings and Seven Feelings and thereby defended Yi Toegyes points of view about the four buddings and seven feelings. Besides the preface and the postscript this article includes 19 paragraphs. Each paragraph is composed of a text from Yi Yulgoks letters to Song Ugye and Yi Hyeonils own remarks thereupon.

In this paper, I analyze Yi Hyeonils remarks with a view to uncovering the threefold misunderstanding implicated in them. First, Yi Hyeonil was not aware that Zhu Xis interpretation of the four buddings and seven feelings did not conform to Mencius original position. Secondly, Yi Hyeonil neglected the fact that Yi Toegyes interpretation of the four buddings and seven feelings could not fit within the parameters of Zhu Xis learning, whereas Yi Yulgok adhered to Zhu Xis standpoint throughout. Thirdly, Yi Hyeonil did not realize that Yi Toegyes view on this topic was actually closer to Mencius view, just because it could not fit within the parameters of Zhu Xis learning.