性理學은 ‘堯舜’으로 대표되는 聖君이 人民을 교화하여 大同사회를 건설하는 것을 이상으로 삼는다. 그러나 중세에서 근대로의 시대 전환기에 列强의 침입과 함께 서구문명이 유입되면서, 聖君인 요순은 一時의 전범으로만 평가되어 이상향 ‘요순’의 지배 담론은 퇴색하고, 正典이었던 儒敎經典과 史書 역시 우리의 삶과 사회의 중심 자리에서 외면되었다. ‘요순’이 형해화된 빈자리에는 ‘영웅’ 담론이 대신 일어나, 서구의 흥망성쇠와 救國의 영웅서사가 활발하게 번안되고 창작되었다. 亡國 직전의 현실 앞에서 사회 구원의 ‘영웅’ 담론이 치명적인 매력으로 근대 계몽기를 장악했던 것이다. 근대 계몽기의 영웅 담론은 우리나라와 서구의 독립ㆍ구국의 영웅들을 반복적으로 소환하여 근대 공간에 내세웠다. 특히 미국의 독립은 國體 보존에 안간힘을 쓰던 大韓의 희망이었고, 그 독립을 이끌어낸 영웅 華盛頓(워싱턴)은 ‘成人’의 이미지로 堯舜에 필적했다. 사회를 이끌어 갈 최고의 모델이 聖君에서 英雄으로 바뀌면, 正典을 결정하는 가치기준도 따라 변한다. 권력 찬탈자로 낙인 찍힌 淵蓋蘇文은 근대 계몽기에 救國의 대영웅으로 평가된 반면, 古典이던 『三國史記』는 ‘事大主義’ 史書로 한동안 과도한 비판의 대상이 된 것이 그 좋은 例이다. 또 오늘날 ‘불멸의 李舜臣’ 신화가 건재하고 『亂中日記』가 하나의 古典이 된 것도 이 시기 영웅서사로 집결된 이순신에 대한 관념이 깊게 작동한 결과였을 것이다. 이처럼 근대 계몽기 영웅을 갈망하는 시대 담론은 연개소문, 이순신 등을 나폴레옹, 워싱턴 등 서구 영웅과 함께 지금까지도 각종 위인전기물, 교과서, 영상매체를 비롯한 다양한 문화콘텐츠로 화려하게 부활시키고 있다. 聖君을 대체하는 사회 모델로서의 영웅은 새로운 正典 형성의 한 기저가 되어 향후 지속적으로 정전화의 과정을 거쳐 나갔던 것이다.

A rehabilitative society that is ruled by a sage king who is best represented by 'Yao-Shun' was the highest ideality that was oriented by Sung Confucianism. But dominant discourses focusing on the ideality, that is, Yao-Shun as sage kings withered away and Confucian scriptures and historic books gradually lost their firm position as canons in Joseon as the invasion of imperialist powers and introduction of Western culture forced the country to move from the medieval to modern times. In the period of modern enlightenment when Josen was about to break down, Yao-Shun didn't became considered as an ideality to be pursued any longer and, instead, it became replaced by discourses on so-called fatal attractions, that is, heros of national salvation. At that time, such discourses reiteratively reminded people of local and foreign heros who devoted themselves to national independence and salvation. Especially, the independence of the United States represented the very hope of the Korean Empire which was striving for its national identity preservation. The hero of the U.S. independence, Gorge Washington was regarded as 'a whole person', whose image was not next to Yao-Shun. If the best model of social leadership changes from 'sage king' to 'hero', values as the standards of canonization are changed. For example, Yeongaesomun who had been labelled as usurper of a regime was considered as a great hero of national salvationidered as a great hero of national . In contrast, at that time, a classic literature oniKorean history, 『Samguksagi』was criticized as a historic book that was flunkeyism- oriented. Today, the myth of 'Immortal General Yi SooniShin' is still alive and 'Najungilgi' has its firm position as a classic literature. This may be attributed to the fact that the notion of 'General Yi SooniShin as a hero' was deeply embedded in the mind of people who lived in the Modern Enlightenment Period. Longing for heros was the key element of discourses that were dominant in that period. This phenomenon was developed into today's main trend that national heros like Yeongaesomun and Yi Soon Shin as wells Western ones like Napoleon and Washington are being reappeared as sort of cultural contents in biographical writings, textbooks and visual media. As social models substituting sage kings, heros became a key basis on which new canons were created and, since then, they have been continuously canonized.

A rehabilitative society that is ruled by a sage king who is best represented by 'Yao-Shun' was the highest ideality that was oriented by Sung Confucianism. But dominant discourses focusing on the ideality, that is, Yao-Shun as sage kings withered away and Confucian scriptures and historic books gradually lost their firm position as canons in Joseon as the invasion of imperialist powers and introduction of Western culture forced the country to move from the medieval to modern times. In the period of modern enlightenment when Josen was about to break down, Yao-Shun didn't became considered as an ideality to be pursued any longer and, instead, it became replaced by discourses on so-called fatal attractions, that is, heros of national salvation. At that time, such discourses reiteratively reminded people of local and foreign heros who devoted themselves to national independence and salvation. Especially, the independence of the United States represented the very hope of the Korean Empire which was striving for its national identity preservation. The hero of the U.S. independence, Gorge Washington was regarded as 'a whole person', whose image was not next to Yao-Shun. If the best model of social leadership changes from 'sage king' to 'hero', values as the standards of canonization are changed. For example, Yeongaesomun who had been labelled as usurper of a regime was considered as a great hero of national salvationidered as a great hero of national . In contrast, at that time, a classic literature oniKorean history, 『Samguksagi』was criticized as a historic book that was flunkeyism- oriented. Today, the myth of 'Immortal General Yi SooniShin' is still alive and 'Najungilgi' has its firm position as a classic literature. This may be attributed to the fact that the notion of 'General Yi SooniShin as a hero' was deeply embedded in the mind of people who lived in the Modern Enlightenment Period. Longing for heros was the key element of discourses that were dominant in that period. This phenomenon was developed into today's main trend that national heros like Yeongaesomun and Yi Soon Shin as wells Western ones like Napoleon and Washington are being reappeared as sort of cultural contents in biographical writings, textbooks and visual media. As social models substituting sage kings, heros became a key basis on which new canons were created and, since then, they have been continuously canonized.

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the Modern Enlightenment Period, sage king, hero, Yao-Shun, Gorge Washington, canon