徐浩修는 1736년에 태어나 1799년에 생을 마친 인물로, 조선 正祖 때 천문과 수학 분야의 전문가로 활약하였다. 학계에서는 그가 남긴 천문과 농학 관련 저술들, 그리고 중국 사행에서 남긴 기록 등에 관심을 가져왔다. 그런데 이러한 관심에도 불구하고, 서호수의 개인적인 행적이나 내면에 대해서는 거의 알려진 것이 없는 형편이다. 한편 그의 집안은 영·정조 대에 걸쳐 거의 유례가 없을 정도로 임금의 신임을 받고 있었다. 이러한 집안의 盛勢와 비교해보면, 서호수는 중국 인사들과의 교유를 제외하면, 의아스러울 정도로 그 교유 범위가 좁다. 또 방대한 양의 저술을 남긴 부친이나 아들의 그것과 비교해 보면, 거의 미미할 정도의 개인 저술을 남기고 있다. 더구나 이 가운데에서도 특별히 자신의 삶이나 학문적 지향에 대해 스스로 기록을 남긴 경우를 거의 찾아보기 힘들다. 본고에서는 서호수를 둘러싼 몇 가지 단편적인 기록들을 통해, 그의 행적과 학술적 지향에 대해 생각해 보았다. 모친 李氏 부인과 正祖 임금의 말, 그리고 徐有榘가 쓴 墓表와 徐瀅修가 쓴 祭文들을 검토해보면, 그가 자란 가정의 분위기와 성품, 그리고 사환 생활의 고민들을 어느 정도 추측할 수 있었다. 또 중국의 李調元과 洪良浩의 기록 등을 참조해 보면, 화려한 관직 생활의 와중에서 한가한 임원을 꿈꾸었음을 알 수 있다. 서호수는 관직 생활의 일환으로 자신의 전문 분야에서 天文·曆算의 전문가들과 교유하였으며, 결국에는 서양인 利瑪竇(Matteo Ricci)가 전한 數學에 몰두하였다. 서호수는 성리학자로서 보다는 이마두의 학술을 계승한 조선의 수학자로 남고 싶어 했고, 또 그것을 자신의 아들들에게 전수하고자 하였다. 다만 현실적으로 조정의 중심에서 자신의 이러한 학문적 모색을 쉽게 드러내지는 않았을 것으로 여겨진다. 결국 서호수는 좀 단순히 표현하자면 ‘자신이 좋아하는 전문 학술에 몰두하였던 인물’이라고 할 수 있을 것이다. 그러나 한편으로 그가 살았던 시대적 상황을 감안해 보면, 그것은 조선 학술에 대한 전면적인 이의 제기라고도 할 수 있을 것이다. 이러한 점에서 필자는 서호수가 18세기 말엽 이미 성리학의 바깥에 서서 그것을 바라보던 한 인물이 아니었을까 여겨진다.

Seo, Ho Soo(徐浩修) was born in 1736 and finished his life in 1799. He acted as a specialist in astronomy and math during the reign of King Jeongjo. The academic society had paid great attention to his astronomy, farming-related writings, and written materials during his private trip to China. Notwithstanding these interest to him, it seems that almost nothing has been revealed to us about his personal Seo, Ho Soo. In this research, I have reflected upon his academic performance and orientation based upon fragmentary records around Seo, Ho Soo. I can make guess at the atmosphere of his family, his personality, and troubles made at times of his personal trip to China in a certain way. In addition, when seen from records made by Lee, Jo Won(李調元) and Hong Ryang Ho(洪良浩) in China, it has been known that he had dreamt of relaxing countryside life in the middle of brilliant governmental office live. On the other hand, he made companies with specialists in astronomy and math as a part of life of governmental office. In the long run, he devoted himself to math delivered by a westerner, Matteo Ricci. With this sort of belief in him, he would like to remain a mathematician in Joseon inheriting academic learning of Lee, Ma Du rather than becoming a Confucianist, moreover he would like to inherit such learning to his son. He, however, had not revealed his such an academic style openly when considering conditions of reality. Eventually, Seo, Ho Soo is, to put it in a simple way, ‘a figure devoted to special learning that he likes’. On the other hand, when taking consideration of the condition of era that he lived, his academic orientation was, it can be said, nothing but objection in a whole scale to academic learning in the era of Joseon Dynasty. As a result of this, Seo, Ho Soo can be deemed a figure that had looked inside Confucian from outside Confucian world at the end of 18th century.

Seo, Ho Soo(徐浩修) was born in 1736 and finished his life in 1799. He acted as a specialist in astronomy and math during the reign of King Jeongjo. The academic society had paid great attention to his astronomy, farming-related writings, and written materials during his private trip to China. Notwithstanding these interest to him, it seems that almost nothing has been revealed to us about his personal Seo, Ho Soo. In this research, I have reflected upon his academic performance and orientation based upon fragmentary records around Seo, Ho Soo. I can make guess at the atmosphere of his family, his personality, and troubles made at times of his personal trip to China in a certain way. In addition, when seen from records made by Lee, Jo Won(李調元) and Hong Ryang Ho(洪良浩) in China, it has been known that he had dreamt of relaxing countryside life in the middle of brilliant governmental office live. On the other hand, he made companies with specialists in astronomy and math as a part of life of governmental office. In the long run, he devoted himself to math delivered by a westerner, Matteo Ricci. With this sort of belief in him, he would like to remain a mathematician in Joseon inheriting academic learning of Lee, Ma Du rather than becoming a Confucianist, moreover he would like to inherit such learning to his son. He, however, had not revealed his such an academic style openly when considering conditions of reality. Eventually, Seo, Ho Soo is, to put it in a simple way, ‘a figure devoted to special learning that he likes’. On the other hand, when taking consideration of the condition of era that he lived, his academic orientation was, it can be said, nothing but objection in a whole scale to academic learning in the era of Joseon Dynasty. As a result of this, Seo, Ho Soo can be deemed a figure that had looked inside Confucian from outside Confucian world at the end of 18th century.

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Seo, Ho Soo, Governmental office, countryside dream, Matteo Ricci, conditions under the era, specialized learning.