王弼의 玄學思想 - 사상적 특징과 사회인식을 중심으로 - = Xuan Xue(玄學), Wang Bi(王弼)’s Thought - Its Characteristics and Social Perception -

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Wang bi(王弼) was gifted with such a remarkable talent that he even completed his great philosophical world around at the age of 20. It is no wonder he achieved dazzling academic accomplishment as his talent was coupled with the academic tradition of his family called Jing zhou school(荊州學派). He also drew on nearly ten thousand books owned by his family throughout generations.
Wang bi(王弼) based his "xuan xue(玄學)" thought on yi wu wei ben(以無爲本) centered on wu(無). He interpreted dao(道), the ultimate concept of Taoism, as wu(無). Yet, he never meant wu(無) that was meaningless at all. His wu(無) was the one that led to and came from everything.
Wang bi(王弼)’s thought is also defined as chong ben xi mo(崇本息末). Chong ben xi mo(崇本息末) means wu(無) is the root and you(有) is a side branch.
Xuan xue(玄學) was a thought that reflected the then-current issues. In Wang bi(王弼)’s days, Wei Jin xuan xue(魏晉玄學) was embroiled in fierce debates upon you(有) and wu(無). These debates were, in fact, over how to view politics and society at the time. Wang bi(王弼) himself regarded an ideal society as a society which excluded human artificiality (i.e., people try to do something unnaturally) and followed the nature (i.e., the state as it is) of all things. Thus, he advocated wu wei er zhi(無爲而治)that means "excluding artificiality." However, he did not object to change since all beings change over time and space.
Wang bi(王弼) became an official, but was not an enthusiastic and competent one. This might be, in part, a result of his pursuit of wu wei er zhi(無爲而治). He did not live in a political environment where wu wei er zhi(無爲而治) could be realized, either. In addition, he was not strongly driven to achieve a political feat in reality. It is fair to say that this is his limit as well as the gap of ideal and reality.
Xuan xue(玄學) developed, taking Chinese philosophy onto a new level in the Wei-Jin(魏晉) era. Unlike other short-lived theories, it had a long-running effect on Chinese society. It was absorbed into a developing traditional thought of China. It breathed new life into Confucianism and Taoism by providing new views and methodologies. Song-Ming Neo-Confucian philosophy (宋明理學: A rationalistic Confucian philosophical school that developed during the Song and Ming Dynasties) as well could not escape the effect of xuan xue(玄學). Considering this, xuan xue(玄學) understandably takes the biggest presence in the history of Chinese thought. That, in turn, evidences Wang bi(王弼)’s prominent role in and contribution to the history of Chinese thought.