This study attempts to integrate Confucianism into postmodernity. To attain this, I intend to separate what can be referred to as authoritarian Confucianism (儒敎, yugyo) from Confucian teachings (儒學, yuhak). While authoritarian Confucianism refers to the political and social structure that emerged within Asian society as a result of the distortion of the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius, the term Confucian teachings denotes the doctrine pursued by Confucianists such as Confucius and Mencius. Thereafter, the focus will be placed on the fact that while authoritarian Confucianism exhibits pre-modern characteristics in the form of adherence to totalitarian Confucian teachings, the Confucian teachings feature postmodern characteristics that make it possible to integrate such Confucianism into postmodernity. A look at the relationship between authoritarian Confucianism and Confucian teachings within traditional Asian society reveals that while Confucian teachings attempted to overcome the hierarchical and despotic aspects of authoritarian Confucianism through such means as emphasizing the spirit of li yue (禮樂, rites and music) and the shanrang (禪讓, abdication of the throne to the worthiest) system, these goals were in the end never achieved. The hierarchical and despotic aspects of authoritarian Confucianism were in the end overcome in the modern era by Western modernity rather than Confucian teachings. There can be no denying that Western modernity played an important role within Asian society. However, it also created various problems within modern Korean society. In this regard, the issue of modernity is not one that is limited to Asian society, but rather one that involves all of humanity. Recent attempts to overcome the problems stemming from this modernity have revolved around the emergence of a postmodern trend within academia that has involved a general reconsideration and deconstruction of modernity. More to the point, this academic trend has focused on deconstructing the rationality behind Western modernity, while also emphasizing differences and diversity. However, there has been a general failure to emphasize the fact that these differences and diversity should be communicated. In this study, I intend to prove that Confucian teachings have pursued a communicational rationality through which such differences can be communicated. These Confucian teachings can serve as important ideological resources in the postmodern society.
목차
Abstract INTRODUCTION FROM THE PREMODERNITY OF AUTHORITARIAN CONFUCIANISM TO THE MODERNITY OF THE WEST-FROM THE HEAVENLY MANDATE TO INDIVIDUAL SUBJECTIVITY FROM MODERNITY TO POSTMODERNITY: FROM UNIFORMITY TO DIFFERENCE POSTMODERNITY AND CONFUCIAN TEACHINGS: FROM DIFFERENCES TO COMMUNICATIONAL RATIONALITY CONCLUSION
한국연구원은 1970년 5월 한국 민속의 각 분야에 걸친 자료의 수집과 학술적 연구를 목적으로 '한국민속연구소'로 출발하였다. 그 후 1973년 5월 연구 분야를 확대하며 민속뿐만 아니라 한국학 전반에 걸친 연구를 위해 '한국학연구소'로 개편하였고, 다시 1989년 3월 한국의 국제적 위상의 부상과 함께 한국학 연구의 중요성이 높아짐에 따라 '한국학연구원'으로 확대, 개편하였다. 한국학연구원은 한국학 전반에 걸친 연구를 통해 지역과 민족문화 발전에 기여하며 한국학의 세계화를 위해서 학술활동을 강화하고 나아가 내·외국인에 대한 한국문화 교육을 담당하고자 한다.