蘇洵 ｢六經論｣과 蘇軾⋅蘇轍 ‘六經論’에 대한 탐구 = A Study on Su Xun’s Treatise on the Six Classics and the ‘Six Classics Theory’ of Su Shi and Su Zhe

국문 초록 (Abstract)

북송(北宋)의 문인이자 학자인 소순(蘇洵), 소식(蘇軾), 소철(蘇轍) 일가의 성취에 대해 학계는 주로 문예 방면에 주목하지만, 경학 또한 단순한 독서의 차원을 넘어 이들에게 중요한 사유의 핵심 토대였다. 삼소가 활동하던 북송은 경학의 새로운 전기가 마련되던 시기였으며, 특히 삼소의 고향인 미산에서는 경전을 중심으로 하는 학문 공동체가 활발하게 형성되고 있었다. 이러한 환경 속에서 삼소 부자는 경서 연구를 핵심 과업으로 삼았고, 주석서 집필, 논설 작성, 경구를 활용한 문예 창작 등으로 학문적 입장을 개진했다.
소순은 주석서를 집필한 적은 없으나 ｢역론｣, ｢예론｣, ｢악론｣, ｢시론｣, ｢서론｣, ｢춘추론｣을 수록한 ｢육경론｣을 통해 그의 경학 체계를 드러냈고, 소식과 소철 형제 또한 오경에 대한 의론문을 남긴 바 있다. 이들의 육경에 대한 의론문은 해당 경전의 내용 자체에 집중한 분석을 한 것은 아니지만, 경전으로부터 얻은 영감을 바탕으로 자신들의 경학적 견해를 드러내고 있다. 따라서 소순의 ｢육경론｣에 대한 분석을 중심으로 소식과 소철의 ‘육경론’이 공유하고 있는 핵심 견해를 도출할 수 있다면, 삼소 육경론의 수립 가능성을 기대해볼 수 있을 것이다.
삼소가 수시로 학문적 견해를 공유하였고, 상호 영향을 끼쳤다는 점에서 이들을 통합적인 시각으로 검토하는 종합 분석이 요구되며, 그동안 학계에서 크게 주목받지 못했던 삼소의 경학을 탐구 대상으로 하는 삼소의 육경론 분석은 필요한 작업이라고 할 수 있다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to analyze the Confucian scholarship of the San Su (三蘇) — Su Xun (蘇洵), Su Shi (蘇軾), and Su Zhe (蘇轍), who were representative literary figures and scholars of the Northern Song (北宋) — and to investigate the possibility of establishing a unified theory of the Six Classics (六經) among them, focusing on Su Xun’s Treatise on the Six Classics (六經論). While previous studies have primarily concentrated on the literary achievements of the San Su, their extensive contributions to Confucian scholarship have yet to be systematically examined. This study seeks to demonstrate that their engagement with the Confucian classics was not merely an act of learning but served as a fundamental basis for their intellectual thought, thereby identifying the unique characteristics of their scholarship.
The Northern Song period, during which the San Su were active, marked a new turning point in Confucian scholarship. In particular, their hometown, Meishan (眉山), was home to a thriving intellectual community centered on the study of the Confucian classics. Within this environment, the San Su devoted themselves to the study of these texts, expressing their academic perspectives through the composition of commentaries, essays, and literary works that incorporated Confucian aphorisms. This study traces the process by which they engaged with the Confucian classics, reflected upon them, and accumulated scholarly achievements through writing, emphasizing that their scholarship was not limited to textual interpretation but involved active reasoning and argumentation.
This study primarily focuses on Su Xun’s Treatise on the Six Classics among the various essays written by the San Su. This work serves as a direct source for understanding Su Xun’s Confucian thought and provides a crucial reference for assessing its influence on the later studies of Su Shi and Su Zhe. Since Su Shi and Su Zhe also wrote extensively on the Six Classics, a comparative analysis of their writings with Treatise on the Six Classics will help clarify the shared scholarly perspectives among the San Su.
The research methodology involves first examining the major scholarly contributions of the San Su and conducting a detailed analysis of the six essays that comprise Su Xun’s Treatise on the Six Classics—Treatise on the Book of Changes (易論), Treatise on the Book of Rites (禮論), Treatise on the Book of Music (樂論), Treatise on the Book of Poetry (詩論), and Treatise on the Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋論). Subsequently, by comparing these with the writings of Su Shi and Su Zhe on the Six Classics, this study seeks to demonstrate that their scholarship did not develop independently but rather evolved based on shared intellectual concerns. This will provide insights into the possibility that the San Su, beyond merely passing down a family tradition, established an independent system of Confucian scholarship.
By systematically organizing the Confucian scholarship of the San Su and analyzing the formation of their Six Classics theory centered on Su Xun’s ideas, this study aims to redefine the significance of their scholarship. This will shed light on their academic achievements not only in the literary domain but also in Confucian studies and further clarify the role of the San Su in the development of Confucian scholarship during the Northern Song period.