조선 후기 성리학에서 『맹자(孟子)』 호연장(浩然章) 논란과 그 의의

Abstract

Through his essay 「Questions on the Haoran Chapter of Mencius」(浩然章質疑), Ouam(尤庵) Song Siyeol(宋時烈:1607∼1689) stressed the centrality of Xin(心) in constructing the self-identity as a Confucianist in his period, so to speak, Shidafu(士大夫). According to him, Xin(心) has the governance-priority over the Qi(氣) and generation-priority to Yan(言: language), and has infinitude in its originality. Song Siyeol suggested that in such perspectives Xin could be construed as Li(理). Songs this suggestion provoked many critics even from his secondary disciples, Oeam(巍巖) Yi Kan(李柬:1677~1727) and Namdang(南塘) Han Wonjin(韓元震:1682~1751). They consented with Song on the centrality of Xin, but thought that Songs identification of Xin and Li on the contrary could make the status of Xin as moral-subjectivity insecure as the result of obscuring the uniqueness of Xin from Li and Qi. Their such efforts contributed to elucidate the uniqueness of human being as moral-subjectivity who aimed at the absolute Idea in the natural world.