旅軒 張顯光의 자연 이해

Chang Hyon gwang's Understanding of the Natural World

Chang Hyon gwang is a Neo-Confucian from later 16th to early 17th century in Chosun dynasty. He was well versed in the study of the Book of Change, and well known as one of the scholars who advocated the typical Neo-Confucian cosmology. Confirming these, th is article investigated his understanding of the natural world and drew the following conclusions. He had broader knowledge and deeper understanding on the natural world than the people in his time had. Although his knowledge of the natural world came out of the limited sources from the Chinese scholars' writings in Sung dynasty, was focused on cosmology, and was intimately related to the theory of the Book of Change, he made several important views on th e natural world. First, he emphasized continuity of the change of th e natural world, by supposing ch'i(氣) as well as li(理) as the origin of the natural world. Second, he wanted to be faithful to Confucianism, which regards everyday life as of great importance, by supposing space and time as the mode of existence of the natural world. Third, he enabled the coexistence of scientific understanding and moral understanding of the principle of the natural world, by under standing the principle of the natural world through the concepts of hsiang(象) and shu(數) in the Book of Change. In this regard, we c an recognize him as the person who built the foundation of natural science in Neo-Confucianism