초록 열기/닫기 버튼
For the Neo-Confucians, “to study” means first and foremost to cultivate one’s inner self with a view to developing “a mature self.” Building upon such a view of study, the Choseon Neo-Confucian education had been predicated upon three distinct, more or less complementary approaches: Toegye’s approach of “nourishing humaneness and achieving virtues,” Yulgok’s approach of “sincerely preparing oneself for statecraft,” and Myongjae’s approach of “practical mind-and-heart and practical scholarship.” The first two approaches are to be called inner-oriented and outer-oriented perspectives respectively. And the last one seeks to subsume both of them, striving for a compromise between them. First, the inner-oriented approach of Toegye (退溪李滉) equates the heavenly principle supposedly inherent in the human mind-and-heart with humaneness, and sets its goal at nurturance of virtues. The practical method of fostering moral virtues it presents is “dwelling in reverence and fathoming principle” (spiritual/moral and intellectual pursuits). Second, the outer-oriented approach of Yulgok (栗谷李珥) offers “the three precious virtues” as the practical modus operandi of realizing its goals. To Yulgok the “sincerely preparing oneself for statecraft” means primarily getting oneself ready to rule over a country by means of harmonizing human relations within it. Significantly, such a worldly project, as he sees it, should be underpinned by a careful reflection upon one’s behaviors in the inner recesses of one’s mind, and refining one’s statesmanship. “The three precious virtues” he puts forward are humaneness, thrift, and humility. Finally, the eclectic approach of Myongjae (明齋尹拯), that of “practical mind-and-heart and practical scholarship,” offers the aforementioned “dwelling in reverence and fathoming principle” as a practical route to realization of its goals. Obviously this is a resort to Toegye’s inner-oriented approach. For Myongjae the rectification of the mind to be attained through it, however, is to be complemented by a strenuous pursuit of practical scholarship that would help sustain people’s livelihood. Thereby he seeks to integrate Toegye’s inner-oriented approach with Yulgok’s outer-oriented approach. Then one may say that it is Myongjae who offers the most rounded and wholesome approach to spiritual education that would eventually have far-reaching ramifications.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
Spiritual Education, Toegye, Yulgok, Myongjae, “nourishing humaneness and achieving virtues, ” “sincerely preparing oneself for statecraft, ” “practical mind-and-heart and practical scholarship”
