본 연구는 조선 후기 여성지성사 서술의 일환으로 여성 성리학자인 任允摯堂의 정치의식을 살펴보기 위해 시도된 것으로, 여성들이 남성의 영역으로 치부되었던 정치에 대한 관심을 갖고 있었음에도 이를 간과했다는 반성에서 출발한다. 임윤지당은 노론 가문 출신으로 그의 정치관 역시 노론, 특히 준론계의 그것과 유사하지만, 군신의 정치적 역할을 상호적 관계로 파악하면서도 그 책임의 주체를 전적으로 신하에게 돌리고 있다는 점에서 군자당을 자임하면서 군주도 신하를 주체로 하는 정치구조 속의 일원이 되는 정치체제를 지향하던 그들과는 차이가 있다. 신하들에게 스스로 정사를 수행할 수 있는 권한을 부여해야 하고, 이를 위해 권도의 사용을 허용함으로서 그 운신의 폭과 재량권을 확대하고 있지만, 정치의 궁극적인 책임은 국왕보다는 신하에게 있다는 주장이다. 윤지당의 왕안석론은 이와 같은 그의 정치관을 반영하는 글로, 영조대 정치에 대한 그의 인식을 잘 보여준다. 그는 왕안석과 그가 추천한 무리가 모두 소인배라는 점을 거듭 강조하여, 시비선악군자소인을 억지로 ‘조제’하는 탕평이 근본적으로 불가능함을 시사하고, 동시에 왕안석의 개혁이 구차스런 법과 부국강병에 집착했음을 드러내어, 청묘법 등 왕안석의 개혁법과 동일시되기도 했던 ’양역변통론‘에 대한 유예적인 시각을 드러냈다. 윤지당의 이러한 관점은 자신이 속한 가문의 정치적 성향뿐 아니라 그간 여성 문사들이 함축적으로 보여주었던 정치인식과도 하나의 맥락을 형성하는 것으로 보여, 그의 정치담론은 조선 후기 여성지성사의 영역을 확대하면서 그간 고전 사상사에서 배제되었던 여성 학자의 자리를 확보하는 데에 일조할 것으로 기대된다.

This paper was attempted to study the political perspectives of Im Yun-ji-dang as a part of continuous research works for the establishment of the intellectual history of women in the late Chosun. The study starts from the recognition that women's political concerns and perspectives have been ignored in the respect that the political affairs are supposed to be men's domain. Im Yun-ji-dang's political viewpoints are, above all, different from those of Noron Party, though she is from family belonging to the party: Yun-ji-dang lays the political responsibility entirely on the subjects whereas Noron considers the sovereign also as a member in the political system of which the main entity is the subject, though they all regard the political role of sovereign and subject as mutual and the classification of men of virtue and people with small mind as required. Yun-ji-dang's essay "Debate on Wang Anshih(Wang An-suk)" reflects her such political perspectives. She shows the negative standpoints against the contemporary political matters led by King Yungjo like policies forcing consensus between different political parties and taxation replacing the compulsory labors of diverse classes. Considering the fact that Yun-ji-dang asserts to permit free discretion of the subjects, and nevertheless the ultimate responsibility of the political matters are attributed to them, it might be natural for her to be against King Yungjo's policies. The political discourse of Im Yun-ji-dang is expected to make some contributions for building up women's intellectual history in the late Chosun and making a place for female Confucian philosophers excluded completely from Korean history of the political thought.

This paper was attempted to study the political perspectives of Im Yun-ji-dang as a part of continuous research works for the establishment of the intellectual history of women in the late Chosun. The study starts from the recognition that women's political concerns and perspectives have been ignored in the respect that the political affairs are supposed to be men's domain. Im Yun-ji-dang's political viewpoints are, above all, different from those of Noron Party, though she is from family belonging to the party: Yun-ji-dang lays the political responsibility entirely on the subjects whereas Noron considers the sovereign also as a member in the political system of which the main entity is the subject, though they all regard the political role of sovereign and subject as mutual and the classification of men of virtue and people with small mind as required. Yun-ji-dang's essay "Debate on Wang Anshih(Wang An-suk)" reflects her such political perspectives. She shows the negative standpoints against the contemporary political matters led by King Yungjo like policies forcing consensus between different political parties and taxation replacing the compulsory labors of diverse classes. Considering the fact that Yun-ji-dang asserts to permit free discretion of the subjects, and nevertheless the ultimate responsibility of the political matters are attributed to them, it might be natural for her to be against King Yungjo's policies. The political discourse of Im Yun-ji-dang is expected to make some contributions for building up women's intellectual history in the late Chosun and making a place for female Confucian philosophers excluded completely from Korean history of the political thought.

Im Yun-ji-dang, women's Intellectual History, poilitical discourse, Debate on Wang An-shih