星湖 李瀷의 西學인식

Yi Ik`s Understanding of the Western Learning, which was deepened by his contact with the Western culture including the Western texts translated into Chinese, demanded a new direction as well as the task of change to the intellectual history of his time, In terms of the attitude towards the Western Learning, he opened a new stage of diversified and active understanding over the previous stage of fragmental and un sophisticated introduction, and also presented the attitude of selective acceptance by actively accepting Western sciences, having open interests in Western cultures, and understanding Western moral rules positively, while criticizing the Christian doctrines, Moreover, unfolding among his followers into anti-West group and pro-West group, his understanding of the Western Learning developed into the central problem of the time.<BR> As a Neo-confucian, Yi Ik accepted Western sciences on the basis of the Neo-confucian world-view and formed a new world-view in which the traditional Neo-confucianism and the Western sciences coexisted and merged together. Furthermore, not being confined within the speculative Neo-confucian cosmology, and opening the intellectual flow of his time a way to the positive and rational world-view of the Western science, Yi Ik`s thought provided the basis and the direction for the Practical Learning of the late Chason dynasty.