This study is aiming for integral reflection on Western Learning(西學) which gave great impact to the later Choson(朝鮮, Yi Dynasty) society. In other words, the purposes of this study are to research, firstly the background which made Western Learning can be introduced, senondly the process of founding Catholic church in Choson by the persons who imported Western Learning into Choson and their understanding about Western Learning, thirdly the expanding process of Choksaron(斥邪論, the theory of rejecting Western Learning), and finally change of political situation of Namin(南人) caused by introducing of Western Learning.

The fundamental concept on which this study is basing is the contradiction between acceptance and rejection of Western Learning. This study mainly deal with the persons from Sõngho School(星湖學派) and the age from the eras(late 18th centry) of kings Yongjo(英祖) and Chongjo(正祖) to the second year(1801) of king Sunjo(純祖). Sõngho is the pen name of Yi Ik(李潤,1682-1763), And the term "Western Learning" which I use largely comprehends the Occidental civilization and Christianity altogether.

According to the content, this study can be devided into three parts as follows. The first part is about academic trend and mutual influence of Songho School which can be observed in the argumant for classical books, and the process of importing Yang-ming Learning(陽明學) and Western Learning. The second part is about the substance of Nokam Line(鹿菴系) which gathered around Kwon Chol-sin(權哲身,1736-1801) after the death of his master Yi Ik, and the process of moving to accept Christianity. Nokam is the pen name of Kwon Chol-sin. In this part I also attempt to grasp Chong Yak-yong(丁若鏽, 1762-1836)'s thought about Western Learning which greatly influenced by Kwon Chol-sin. In the third part, at first I explain the Choksaron which was developed simultaneously with the diffusion of "the Western books translated into Chinese letters”(漢譯西學書), and the explanation about Choksa Movement (斥邪運動)which was the mixture of the Choksaron and the political situation.

From the first stage of the Sõngho School, there were several persons who had been criticized the theory of Chu-tzu Learning(朱子學,Neo-Confucianism). This is well be observed especially in the discussion about human nature and Ta-Hsüeh(大學,The Great Learning). While Sin Hu-dam(惧後聘,1702-1776) and Yi Böyng-hyou(李秉休,1710-1776) criticezed the theory of Chu-tzu Learning and articulated their own opinions, Youn Tong-kyou(尹東奎, 1695-1773) and An Chong-bok(安鼎福,1712-1791) followed Chu-tzu Learning in general. The former can be described as "the process of academic revolution or pregress to overcome the Chu-tzu Learning" accomplished by a group of Sõngho School.

Especially, Yi Böyng-hyou restored the religious characteristics of Original Confucianism(原始儒學) through the explanation of human nature and emphasized the practical interpretation of Ta-Hsüeh. On one hand, this academic trend is deeply related to that of Youn Hyou (尹鐵, 1617-1680). The restoring of religious characteristics is the academic basis which opened the way to the "Confucianism-Complement Theory" (補儒論) of Western Learning. But on the other hand stress upon the practical ethic led contrary to "the world to come" in which Catholic church believes.

Meanwhile the 2nd generation of Songho School like Sin Hu-dam, Yi Böyng-hyou and An Chong-bok did not accept Yang-ming Learning. But disciples of Yi Böyng-hyou like Kwon Chol-sin, Yi Ki-yang (李基讓), Han Chong-un(韓鼎運) introduced Yang-ming Learning partly. In the light of the face that Matteo Ricci(利瑪窗) accepted the Yang-ming Learning in his De Deo Verax Disputatio(天主實義, The truth about God), their acceptance of Yang-ming Learning was another background for the approach to Christianity. In fact some people from Sõngho School made contact with Western Learning from the early times, and consequently they got new geographical and cosmological vision and enlarged their view of the world.

Nokam Line is important in regard to Catholic church. Among them Kwon Chol-sin opened his eyes to the Original Confucianism, and recoverd religious characteristics through the interpretation of Chung-yung(中庸,The Mean). And also he kept practical ethic. These characteristics of his learning can be called as "progressive attitude" or "progress of internal revolution". In regard to Western Learning Kwon Chol-sin kept double-sided attitude of "integration and separation". For that very reason, at first he accepted Christianity but later seeing that Catholic church had banned the sacrificial rites for the ancestors, he left away Christianity. But his religious characteristics very much influenced to his disciples as Yi Böyk(李檗,1754-1786) and Chong Yak-yong.

The formation of Nokam Line goes back to 1776. At that time Kwon Chol-sin got in touch with "Western books translated into Chinese letters”(漢譯西學書) and gave thought to them. As a result they became to overcome Yang-ming Learning and inclined to Western Learning gradually. The "Seminar of Chuõsa”(走魚寺講學) in 1779 was a meeting in which genuine discussion about Western Learning took place. And in this contact with Western Learning we can find the background for the acceptance of Christianity by Nokam Line.

The Western books translated into Chinese letters which Yi Sung-hun(李承蕉, 1756-1801) imported became the ground for the foundation of Catholic chruch in Choson, and also for the dogmatic comprehension of thereafter. Kwon Chol-sin also accepted Christianity on the same background but by reason of the double-sided characteristic of his studies, he attached great importance to the Christianity and traditional ethic at the sametime. Yi Sung-hun also had that kind of tendency. Therefore, the fact that they left away Catholic church later means that they chose worldly ethical norms. In David Hume's philosophical terms, "the is" was not able to precede "the ought" for them.

Among the persons belong to Nokam Line, Chong Yak-yong is the one who left clear thought about Western Learning. From 1777 when he saw the posthumous work of Yi Ik to 1795 when he was relegated because of Western Learning, he kept in contact with Western Learning. At first he gave attention to the occidental science and technique which belong to the field of Sirhak(實學, the practical learning) and from 1784 he was concerned about Christianity.

This process of contact with Western Learning is the background for the elements found in his studies. And the academic tendency of "Youn hyou→Yi Ik →Yi Böyng-hyou Kwon Chol-sin" and association with Yi Böyk also had connection with the elements. But the knowledge of Chong Yak-yong about Western Learning was not formed separately from other studies but stood on the ground of Confucianism-Complement Theory. In other words, he harmonized ethic and faith. Consequently, even though he gave up Christianity, he did not excluded throughly the elements of Western Learning already accepted. In fact, many elements of Western Learning can be found in his thought. Especially his thought of Chon(天,Heaven) and his emphasis on the attributes of Sangje(上帝, the Supreme King) were influenced from Original Confucianism and Christianity simultaneuosly.

The problem of Choksaron also cannot be omited from the history of Western Learning in later Choson. The traditional Böykiron(關異論, the theory of rejecting heresy), knowledge about Western Learning of Yi Ik, the Confucianism-Complement Theory in the Western books translated into Chinese letters, and knowledge about Western Learning of Songho School can be regarded as the background of Choksaron. Among these the first "formative stage of Choksaron" began with Yi Ik, and An Chong-bok was a great influence on Yi Ik for to turn toward Choksaron in 1757. With these persons Sin Hu-dam logically criticized Christian dictrines through Sõhak-böyn(西學辨, On Western Learning) and later this criticism influenced persons belong to Kongso Line(攻西系). Söhakbõyn has shown very clearly that the practical ethic of the Confucianism and "the world to come" in which Catholic church believe in can not coincide with each other from the first step.

The second "formative stage of Choksaron as public opinion" can be devided into two parts. The first part of this stage ranged from 1784 to 1787. During this period An Chong-bok led the Choksaron of Kiho-namin(畿湖南人).Through this period Sunam Line(順菴系) became a distinct school against Nokam Line. Sunam is the pen name of An Chong-bok. During this period he preached Choksaron to Õyngnam-namin(嶺南南人), and appealed to the leaders of Kiho-namin to participate into the publication of Choksaron. The groundwork of this movemant were Chonhak-ko(天學考,Reflections on heavenly learning) and Chonhak-mundap(天學問答, A conversation on heavenly learning) of An Chong-bok. The second part of the second stage began with the Banhoi-sakõn (泮會事件,Banhoi accident) in 1787. With this event persons from Sunam Line like Hwang Tök-il(黃德壹) and his brother took over the role of An Chong-bok. And around 1791 Hong Chong-ha(洪正河) wrote Chungùi-yochi(證疑要旨, Question Western Learning) which was the last book about Choksaron of Kiho-namin.

The schism among Kiho-namin which began at the end of 18th century had politcal and academic backgrounds. The political background had it's origin in the split of Taichai(大萘) and Sochai (小蔡) from 1782. The formar was called 'Chai Je-kong(蔡濟恭) faction' and the latter was called 'Chai Hong-ri(蔡弘履) faction'. The academic background of the schism was the split among the Sunam Line(李瀾→安鼎福→黃德吉→許傳) which was faithfull to Chu-tzu Learning, Nokam Line(李溪→李秉休→權哲身→丁若鏞), and Õywa Line(餘窩系) gathered around Mok Man-chung(陸萬重). Among these Öywa Line had deeply connected with the political position of Namin.

The schism began to show somewhat different aspect in connection with the Christianity. That was the split of Kongso Line and Chinso Line(親西系) within Kiho-namin after the Banhoi-sakön. And this split developed into the political issue of Choksa movement with the Chinsan-sakon(珍山事件) in 1791. From this time Noron-böykpa(老論僻派) began to attack Namin, and Kongso Line of Namin gradually seek to cooperate with Noron-bõykpa. In 1793 Hong In-ho(洪仁浩) who was the eldest son of Hong Su-bo(洪秀輔) attacked Chai Je-kong in coorperation with Noron-bõykpa. Due to this affair Namin began to be devided again into 'Chai Je-kong faction' and 'Hong In-ho faction'.

With the Ulmoibuksan-sakon (乙卯北山事件) at June 1795, the Chocksa movement was accelerated. After this event Chinso Line of Namin which Chongjo was supporting received tremendous damage. So the Tangpõyng Policy(蕩平策) of the Chongjo was partly collapsed. In addition to that, with the death of Chai Je-kong and Chongjo the Tangpõyng Policy was totally collapsed and Persecution of 1801 (辛酉迫害) occurred. Right after the persecution, slanders among Namin made Chinso Line politically fall down.

The Persecution of 1801 has multiple meanings. First of all, it means not only the frustration of Chinso Line, but the collapse of Kiho-namin. After all it means that Tangpõyng Policy was frustrated. And in the academic sense it means that progressive characteristics and internal reform were shrinked. Accordingly these results has shown the limitation of the times that imposed restrictions to the double-sided characteristic of Nokam Line.