이 글의 목적은 동아시아 이상사회 담론의 중요한 토대가 되고 있는 『예기』 「예운」편의 ‘대동사회’에서 일과 노동이 어떤 의미를 가지는지를 확인함으로써, 삶의 온전한 의미가 실현되는 이상적인 사회의 조건을 일과 노동을 통해 그려보는 데 있다. 결국 일하는 사회도 이상사회일 수 있는가, 만약 그렇다면 그 조건은 무엇인가라는 문제가 이 논문을 통해 해결하고자 하는 것이고, 『예기』에 등장하는 대동大同사회와 소강小康사회의 대비 속에서 이 문제에 대한 대답을 찾고 있다. 『예기』에서 ‘대동사회’는 인간이 지향해야 할 이상적인 사회로 설정되고 있다. 그런데 그 대동사회는 소강사회와 마찬가지로 인간의 욕구가 저절로 충족되는 것이 아니라 인간의 노력과 정치･사회적인 제도에 의해 일정한 욕구의 충족이 보장되는 사회이며, 또한 늘 결핍을 느끼는 인간들이 구성한 사회이기도 하다. 즉 대동사회와 소강사회가 동일하게 정치적인 지배가 행해진 사회이고, 정치적 지배란 원칙적으로 ‘인간에 의한 인간의 지배’를 의미할 때, 대동사회에서는 소강사회처럼 인위적인 조직화가 아니라 ‘인간성에 토대를 두고, 그 인간성에 부합하는 정의로운 지배’가 이루어진 것이다. ‘대동사회’에서의 ‘일’ 역시 인위적인 조직화가 아니라는 점에서 소강사회와 차별성을 보인다. 즉 일이 욕구의 대상이 되고, 욕구하는 일을 할 수 있을 때, 일은 인간 자신을 실현하는 통로가 되어, 인간은 일을 하지만, 그 일은 다시 인간을 형성하게 된다. 대동사회에서의 일은 사람을 사람답게 하는, 곧 자신을 실현하는 통로이며, 욕구하는 인간에게 일이 없는 사회는 또 다른 형태의 디스토피아라는 점에서 대동사회가 일하는 사회임에도 불구하고 이상사회일 수 있는 까닭이 확인된다.

The purpose of this thesis is to identify what kind of meaning working and labour carries in the 'United Society'(大同社會) of 「Yueiji」 and to draw the condition of the ideal society through the working and labour which realizes the perfect meaning of our lives. Ultimately it tries to solve whether a working society is an ideal one or not, then what its condition is, and it gets the answer from the comparison between the 'United Society' and 'Sogang Society'(小康社會), the previous step of the former which are shown in 「Yueiji」. 'United Society' in 「Yueiji」 is shown as an ideal society. But it is the place where human desire is not fulfilled by itself as in 'Sogang Society,' but by human efforts and political and social systems, and it is also a society which is made by humans who always feel insufficiency. That is, both of 'United Society' and 'Sogang Society' is controlled by politics, and in the sense that it means 'control by human,' 'United Society' is not controlled by the artificial organization as in 'Sogang Society, but by justice which is based on and suitable for humanity. Working in 'United Society' is also different from that in 'Sogang Society in that it is not the artificial organization. That is, when it can be said that working is an object of desire and humans can do it, it is a way for them to realize themselves. And humans do working which in turn forms them. Even though 'United Society' is a working one, it is the Utopia in that working in 'United Society' is what makes humans humane and a way to realize their lives, and to humans a society without working is a kind of dystopia.

The purpose of this thesis is to identify what kind of meaning working and labour carries in the 'United Society'(大同社會) of 「Yueiji」 and to draw the condition of the ideal society through the working and labour which realizes the perfect meaning of our lives. Ultimately it tries to solve whether a working society is an ideal one or not, then what its condition is, and it gets the answer from the comparison between the 'United Society' and 'Sogang Society'(小康社會), the previous step of the former which are shown in 「Yueiji」. 'United Society' in 「Yueiji」 is shown as an ideal society. But it is the place where human desire is not fulfilled by itself as in 'Sogang Society,' but by human efforts and political and social systems, and it is also a society which is made by humans who always feel insufficiency. That is, both of 'United Society' and 'Sogang Society' is controlled by politics, and in the sense that it means 'control by human,' 'United Society' is not controlled by the artificial organization as in 'Sogang Society, but by justice which is based on and suitable for humanity. Working in 'United Society' is also different from that in 'Sogang Society in that it is not the artificial organization. That is, when it can be said that working is an object of desire and humans can do it, it is a way for them to realize themselves. And humans do working which in turn forms them. Even though 'United Society' is a working one, it is the Utopia in that working in 'United Society' is what makes humans humane and a way to realize their lives, and to humans a society without working is a kind of dystopia.

ideal society, United Society, Sogang Society, working, labour