惠岡 崔漢綺의 對外觀 硏究

A study on the Foreign Idea of Choi, Hanki

본 연구는 혜강의 대외인식을 살펴보기 위해 먼저, 혜강의 대외관의 토대를 이루고 있는 진보적 사회역사관의 내용은 무엇인가? 둘째, 이러한 인식의 방향이 어떻게 변용되어 대외관을 형성하는데 영향을 주고 있는가? 셋째, 혜강의 대외인식의 기본관념이 당시의 지배층이 보여준 대외인식과 대응양식과 비교해 볼 때 어떤 차이가 있으며, 또한 이것이 국가체제와 어떤 연관성이 있는가? 넷째, 혜강의 대외관이 갖는 한국사회사상에서의 위치를 밝혀보고자 한다.

To know how Chousn dynasty intellectuals understood the outer world, or the relationship between countries, is very important in understanding the characteristics or Chosun's ideology. The Korean history developed as the country formed close relations with other nations as a part of East Asia. Therefore, we can better understand the then society by identifying the thoughts of the world of Chosun intellectuals. Hyegnag Choi, Hanki(惠岡 崔韓綺) is considered as an important man of the history of thoughts in the late period of Chosun. The main reason is that he provided a link between Silhak(實學: the practical science) and the thought of the enlightenment. In the 19th century Shosun dynasty where concerns over crisis created by various factors at home and abroad were prevalent, many intellectuals understood the reality in their own manner and expressed various opinions about which direction the history should take. They had an open foreign view transcending the China-centered world view, and on the core point was Choi. Hanki. His ideas include modern and scientific universe view based on his knowledge of natural science and open foreign view. Building up his own academical system in which the concept of Unwhachi(運化氣) roles as a main principle, he named it as Chihak(氣學). He based his thoughts far from the China-centered foreign view, and suggested 'Hwa(和)' and 'Tong(通)’ as a political and an academic means to adapt to the new international environment. The basic concept of Hyegnag(惠岡)'s view, created upon his liberal socio-historical ideas, is to reform the reality. Particularly, he emerged from king-centered feudal political ideology and suggested democratic ideas for the sake of the people. However, his thoughts have both premodern and modern characteristics. They were positive and open, but still had the limitations of the times. Despite such limitations and problems, Hyegang's foreign view found in his ideas has the meanings below and deserves to be studied still in the future. First, his thoughts play a role of linking between Silhak and the thought of the enlightenment or modern thought in the history of Korean ideology. Second, the core concept of his ideas 'Chi(氣)' deserves of the universe. Third, his ideology has characteristics of openness and reform and pursues to achieve the world government of Harmonious society(大同社會) only on the basis of our traditional thoughts and ideas. Thus, Hyegang's ideas can become a critical alternative to today's tendency that tries to eliminate conflicts and problems of the Korean society through western philosophies, religions or systems. Fourth, Hyegang's attitude to build Tongmin(統民) society centered on the spirit of morality and reconciliation while focusing on science can be one alternative to remove negative effects of the material civilization. In short, Hyegang's foreign view based on his unique concept of Unwhachi(運化氣) is a great achievement is modern efforts to pursue harmony between human nature and social system or between the world and humanity, holding significant position in the history of Korean ideology.