초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Examined in this article is Mog'eun Yi Saek, who was one of the so-called "Sam'eun(三隱)" figures in the ending days of the Go'ryeo dynasty. He remained loyal to his moral obligations to the Go'ryeo dynasty, vigorously studied Neo-Confucianism and the Studies of the Way("Do'hak/道學"), and passionately taught students and raised them into scholars. In all the confusion and chaos of the last days of the Go'ryeo dynasty, Yi Saek continued to study, teach, and tried to live by the Neo-Confucian principles of 'Building oneself and then govern the others(“Su‘gi Chi'in/修己治人”).' His philosophy reflected his intentions to stay loyal to the Go'ryeo dynasty, and as a result, he displayed a protective stance toward Buddhism which had been the backbone of the Go'ryeo people's mind and spirit, and a tendency to support the legitimacy of the old Land system of Go'ryeo. Quite naturally, he was severely criticised in the early days of the Joseon dynasty. From the standpoint of the Joseon government, which declared Neo-Confucianism as its one and only National ideology, Yi Saek was a misguided intellectual who followed the heretic Buddhist teachings and was more than passive to the necessary institutional reforms. The Joseon government had to legitimize itself by blaming the late Go'ryeo dynasty for deserving the fate it got, and from that kind of point of view, Yi Saek was never to be forgiven. But then, when the political "Sa'rim" newcomers took control of the government in the 16th century, and when they started emphasizing the importance of the 'moral righteousness' concept of Neo-Confucianism, the evaluation of certain historical figures, who did not participate in the foundation of the Joseon dynasty or who were even uncooperative to the task, started to change. The review of Yi Saek's character changed accordingly as well. A person named Park Sang, justified Yi Saek's decision to enthrone Shin Don's offspring('Wu-wang') as an 'unavoidable' one considering the circumstances, and praised him for his academic achievements in the spreading of Confucianism. He also argued that Yi Saek did not betray his own loyalty, just like Jeong Mong-ju who did not betray his own. Meanwhile, a person named Hong Yeo-ha, pointed out that while Yi Saek did not display any formidable actions during his time as a minister, he did remain loyal and maintained his righteous integrity. Song Shi-yeol, while writing an epitaph for Yi Saek, criticized people like Jeong Doe-jeon, Ha Ryun and Gweon Geun, who all 'betrayed' their own master Yi Saek. Song also argued that insulting Yi Saek was making an insult to the 'Way of Life("Se'do/世道"),' and asked that his descendants should search for and understand, the true meaning of Yi Saek's loyalty and righteousness. All these different sorts of evaluations of Yi Saek came to exist because different time periods needed different points of view. But there were several constant factors in Yi Saek's life that no future scholar could deny or spin, like his study of Neo-Confucianism, his teaching of the future generation, and his loyalty to the falling dynasty. What makes human a human is morality, and nothing else. The prioritizing of human morality, and studying it from an academic point of view, and trying to live one's life by such principles, are values that would earn someone an undying praise that could probably continue for centuries. In that regard, studies of Yi Saek are indeed no ordinary Korean historical studies. It is also a method which would enlighten us of the current tasks ahead. Studies of Yi Saek could prove to be quite instrumental in the future, especially in the areas of developing moral and righteous life styles.
