親試小考·續

Abstract

This is a continuation of the study conducted last year on the educational implications of the questions posed in the royal civil service examinations' or ch'in-si. The previous study analyzed the questions set in the problem-solving paper or ch'in-si ch'aek, which dealt with certain problems of national importance and also textual problems-usually based on seeming conflicts in passages the candidate had studied. The construction and content of some sixty ch'aek questions, collected from the Annals of the Yi Dynasty, were investigated. It was found that the major emphasis was placed on the writing of compositions by which the examinee might demonstrate his originality and skill in reasoning and expression. Now, it is almost a truism that a skill on reasoning mill usually come from extensive practice of the ability to think. The study therefore concluded that the ability to think was perhaps the most important object of learning in those days. The present study is a further analysis of the educational implications of the royal civil service examinations. To demonstrate their wastery of various styles, candidates were required to compose a 'poem' or si, an 'appeal to the king' or p'yo, an 'argument' or non, a 'memorial to the throne' or chon, a piece of 'poetic prose' or pu, and also to answer questions on the meaning of selected passages from 'the classics' or myong-kyong. Some eighteen topics for these differences styles and set passage from the classics were collected for investigation from the Aπηals mentioned above. It was found that the topics were possible to answer chiefly with the extensive knowledge of the following great books, as well as the sufficient practice of writing in the styles. The books for the candidate to read were the four books like Doctrine of the Mean or Chung Yung, five classics like Book of Odes or Shih Ching, history books of China like Historical Records or Shih Chi, miscellaneous books, and the Songs of Flying Dragons or Yongbi Och'on Ka, the Korean eulogy to celebrate the founding of the Yi dynasty. In terms of education, the ch'in-si as a whole demanded a high degree of proficiency in the reading, and writing skills, while the ch'in-ch'aek emphasized thinking ability in particuler. As for administering the examinations, the questions were secretly prepared in the palace by the examiners and were usually approved by the king. The three chief examiners were known as tokkwŏn-kαan or 'Readers', and the four assistant examiners were called the taetok-kwan or 'Co-Readers'. They were appointed from among the senior ministers. It was customary to conduct the royal examinations with ceremony, the palace examination ceremory' or chŏnsi-ŭi. The examinations and ceremonies, which took up one day, were usually held at the palace or occasionally in the hall of a Confucian temple in the capital city. The degree ceremony' or pangpang-ŭi followed a few days later. Here, the certificates or hong-p'ae written on red paper, together with bouquets, wine and fruit were awarded to the successful candidates. And the top three candidates were further honored by receiving large 'processional parasols; or kae. There was then held a 'congratulatory banquet' or ŭnyŏng-yŏn given by the king for all the successful candidates. The grantees of the banquet, however, had to go to the palace the next day and usually offered what was known as a saŭn-chŏn, or 'memorial of thanks to the throne'.