明宗末· 宣祖初 退濤 李混의 정치적 位相

The Political Position of Toegye Lee Hwang in the last period of Myeong Jong and in the early of Seon Jo

After a purge of co여 ucian scholars in Uelsa(l545), Toegye Lee Whang went into politics, and died before the split of politi pty into the East and West. Therefore, contrarγ to Ywgok( 票) and Ugye( 牛漢)， he fell not under suspicion of party strife. He passed the small and great government service exarninations, was appnted to important offices, commanded universal admiration as the best scholar of Confucianism at that time and as Ju Ja( 朱子) of the East. When he entered in the government service and stayed at home, he held always fast to an attitude of ‘難進易退’ and cultiva men of ta1ent who will lead the political world and the academic world. On this account, he was criticized as a negati、rist and retrogressi ve person by persons of the West-Party and the North-Party. But, with the passage of time, his moral inf1uence became higher, and he, a leader of Confucian scholars, drove elaborately following programs for the establishment of Confucian scholars government. 1. He tried to avoid blunders of Purges of Confucian Scholars’ m Gimyo . Eulsa{ζ 已)(1519 . 1545), by accusing of mistakes in the Purges and demanding reinstatement of purge scholars. He claimed also that the King must distinguìsh clearly between a scholar of mean type and small minded person, virtue and vice. 2. He played a leading role in establishr1t of scholastic pocs which can overwhelm the conservative force. With 1 Jeong, he confirmed lineage of four wise scholars of the East, Gim(Kim) GoengpiH金宏弼) -Jeong Yeochang(鄭、h짧)-Jo Gw떼gjo(趙光祖))-IEonjeok( 李彦連)， and emphasized legitimacy of Confucian scholars against the conservative official. 3. He established a system that the Confucian intellectuals will lead a rural district, by drawing up regulations of the rural society and buìlding a lecture hall for Confucian scholars. 4. He could advance the offering sacrifice to Confucian sages and ancestors, reception of guests and activities of good conducts, by increasing of property through a large-scale farπring. 1brough these achievements, he tωk posthumous conferment of honors as a prime minister of Joseon, was granted a posthumous epithet, Munsun( 文純).