「격물탐원」 에 나타난 인간의 몸과 본성에 대한 연구

On Human Body and the Human Nature in Natural Theology and the Method of Divine Government

This study examines Natural Theology and the Method of Divine Government, the most important work of a Scottish Christian missionary, Alexander Williamson who worked in the latter half of the 19th century in China. Christian missionaries at that time were still confronted with the traditional Confucian culture and thoughts. This paper focuses on human body and the human nature in his work, and I think these two were very important issues in Christian missions. Rev. Williamson addressed the working patterns of heart( ) while explaining the human body, and also added brain and soul issues which were not so central to traditional body understanding. Criticizing the theory that man’s inborn nature is good in Mencius, he argued that human nature is not good any longer since the original sin of Adam. For Williamson, all the problems of the propensities in Man, the appetites of body and the appetences of mind, emotions and affections, thoughts and laws of association were directly connected with the existence of God, His creation of the universe and human salvation.