낙론계 경세론 연구 - 이이 애민 정신의 계승을 중심으로 = A Study on the Theory of Statecraft of the Nakhak School: Focusing on the Inheritance of Yulgok’s

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines how Yulgok’s theory of statecraft was inherited and developed by scholars of the Nakhak School, centered on Nong-am, Do-am, and Maesan, from the perspective of implementing the spirit of benevolence toward the people (愛民). Unlike previous research that focused on the Nakhak School’s theories of statecraft in terms of their political positions and governing ideologies as the ruling class, this study examines the inheritance and implementation patterns of Yulgok’s spirit of benevolence toward the people through the people-centered discourse on statecraft that they proposed.
To this end, this study analyzed the theories of statecraft of key Nakhak School scholars based on three manifestations of the spirit of benevolence that permeate Yulgok’s theory of statecraft: ① the theory of royal cultivation, ② the implementation of concrete institutions and policies, and ③ the parallel integration of nourishing the people and educating them. Nong-am, amid political instability and livelihood crises in the late 17th century, emphasized the monarch’s moral awakening for alleviating the people’s actual suffering, presented practical livelihood policies such as frugality and grain loan remission, and sought an integrated vision of statecraft that combined economic stability with moral edification. Do-am, amid chronic livelihood problems and deepening institutional corruption in the early 18th century, emphasized the monarch's reflection for the practical improvement of people’s lives, presented policies such as the abolition of military colonies and tax reforms, and pursued gradual edification based on economic foundations following the principle of “enriching first, then educating” (先富後敎). Maesan, in the face of the extreme suffering of the people caused by in-law government dominance and the corruption of the three administrative systems in the early 19th century, emphasized the monarch’s proper mindset for the fundamental restoration of people’s livelihoods, presented reform measures such as the equal field system and relief policies, and developed a comprehensive theory of statecraft that integrated moral edification through schools and village compacts with economic stability.
Through this analysis, this study confirms that the Nakhak School was a people-oriented scholarly group that inherited Yulgok’s spirit of benevolence and responded to livelihood crises in each era with concrete and effective measures. This examination of inheritance patterns within the Nakhak School is expected to provide a foundation for future comparative studies with other schools such as the Hohak School and Nam-in faction.