다산茶山 정약용丁若鏞의 ‘가례家禮’론 = A Study of Tasan Jeong Yak-yong’s Theory of Family Rituals

국문 초록 (Abstract)

이 논문은 정약용의 ‘가례家禮’론의 주요내용으로서 그의 ‘사례四禮 [관례冠禮, 혼례婚禮, 상례喪禮, 제례祭禮]’론, ‘입후立後’론 및 ‘거가사본居家四本[제가齊家, 치가治家, 기가起家, 보가保家]’론을 차례대로 소개하는 한편, 여기에 전제․표명되고 있는 그의 ‘예禮’의 개념과 ‘예禮의 정신精神’을 추적․정리해본 글이다. 즉, 그가 제시한바 ① ‘사례’론에서는 대표적인 유교적 통과의례通過儀禮로서의 ‘관례’, ‘혼례’, ‘상례’ 및 ‘제례’ 의 의식절차와 예학적 문제의식, ② ‘입후’론에서는 그 구성내용과 구체적인 적용사례, ③ ‘거가사본’론에서는 ‘제가’, ‘치가’, ‘기가’ 및 ‘보가’를위한 핵심적 실천방안과 그 내용적 특징, ④ 그의 ‘가례’론 일반의 철학적 기반으로서의 ‘예’의 개념 및 이러한 ‘가례’론을 통해 구체화된 시대성에 구애되지 않는 일련의 보편적인 유교적 ‘예의 정신’, 즉 ‘유교적 인도주의人道主義’, ‘유교적 합리주의合理主義’, ‘예의 근본 중시’, ‘고례古 禮와 시속時俗의 절충’ 및 ‘변등辨等을 지향하는 예의 기능의 중시’라는예학적 특징을 중심으로 이를 차례대로 추출․개관해보았다.
한편, 정약용이 이처럼 구상․제출했던바 일련의 ‘가례’론은 또한 그가살았던 18세기 후반과 19세기 초반의 조선사회가 목하 경험하고 있었던 심대한 경제․사회적 변화를 그 배경으로 하는 동시에 이에 대한 그의예학적 문제의식의 직접적 산물이었음은 물론이다. 결국, 정약용이 구상․제출했던 상기의 ‘가례’론은, 특히 그가 ‘거가사본’론에서 그 주요대상으로 “가난한 사족士族”이나“작록爵祿의 계통을 잃은 사대부가士大夫家”를 반복적으로 언급한 데서 간취할 수 있듯이, 당시 당색黨色을 막론하고 몰락해가던 대다수의 하층양반의 경제․사회적 위상을 회복․보존함으로써 궁극적으로 왕권을 중심으로 한 국가적 통치기반의 확보와 강화를 모색하고자 했던 예학적․정치적 기획의 일환이 아니었던가 한다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper investigates Jeong Yak-yong’s theory of ‘four rites(Rites of capping, Rites of marriage, Rites of funeral, Rites of sacrifices)’, that of ‘adoption principles’ and that of ‘four general principles for family life(The establishment of ethical order in family, The management of family finances, The raise of family status, The preservation of family)’ one by one as the main contents of his theory of ‘family rituals’ and pursues and arranges his concept of ‘rites’ and ‘the spirits of rites’ which were set forth as a premise and were expressed in his theory of ‘family rituals’. The main contents of this paper are as follows: ① In relation to Jeong Yak-yong’s theory of ‘four rites’, the ceremonial proceedings of and his ritual concerns and interests in ‘Rites of capping’, ‘Rites of marriage’, ‘Rites of funeral’ and ‘Rites of sacrifices’ as a representative Confucian rites of passage are examined in order. ② In connection with his theory of ‘adoption principles’, its constituent substances and its concrete case of application are considered. ③ In reference to his theory of ‘four general principles for family life’, the core practical methods and the content characteristics of ‘The establishment of ethical order in family’, ‘The management of family finances’, ‘The raise of family status’ and ‘The preservation of family’ are introduced by turns. ④ His concept of ‘rites’ which was philosophical basis of his theory of ‘family rituals’ in general and his universal and not irrespective of the phases of the times Confucian ‘spirits of rites’ which were embodied in his theory of ‘family rituals’ are extracted and surveyed.
On the other hand, it is a matter of course that a series of theories of ‘family rituals’ which Jeong Yak-yong mapped out and presented were a response to a chain of enormous socio-economic changes which Joseon(朝鮮) society experienced during the latter half of the 18th century and the first half of 19th century and a direct product of his critical mind on the ritual situations of the then Joseon society.
After all, Jeong Yak-yong’s a series of theories of ‘family rituals’ were probably a part of his ritual and political programs which aimed at ensuring and strengthening national ruling base with attaching importance to royal authority by means of restoring and preserving socio-economic positions of the then large majority of lower nobility who were going to ruin regardless of the Four Factions of the Joseon Dynasty.