The Conceptual Intersection between the Old and the New and the Transformation of the Traditional Knowledge System

신구(新舊) 관념의 교차와 전통 지식 체계의 변용

This essay reflects on the modernity of Korea by examining the transformation of the traditional knowledge system from a historico-semantic perspective with its focus on the opposition and collision of the old and the new conception occurred in the early period(1890~1910) of the acceptance of the Western modern civilization. With scientific success, trick of reason, Christianity and evolutionary view of history, the Western modernity regarded itself as a peak of civilization and forced the non-Western societies into the world system in which they came to be considered as 'barbarism(野蠻)' or 'half-enlightened(半開).' The East Asian civilization, which had its own history for several centuries, became degraded as kind of delusion and old-fashioned customs from which it ought to free itself. The Western civilization presented itself as exemplary future which East Asian people should achieve, while East Asian past traditions came to be conceived as just unnecessary vestiges which it was better to wipe out. It can be said that East Asian modernization was established through the propagation and acceptance of the modern products of the Western civilization rather than through the preservation of its past experience and pursuit of the new at the same time. Accordingly, it is difficult to apply directly to East Asian societies Koselleck's hypothesis; while mapping out his Basic Concept of History, he assumed that, in the so-called 'age of saddle,' semantic struggle over concepts becomes active between the past experience and the horizon of expectation on the future, and concepts undergoes 'temporalization', 'democratization', 'ideologization', 'politicization.'The struggle over the old and new conceptions in Korea was most noticeable in the opposition of the Neo-Confucian scholars of Hwangseongsinmun and the theorists of civilization of Doknipsinmun. The opposition and struggle demanded the change of understanding in every field, but there was difference of opinion over the conception of the past traditional knowledge system. For the theorists of civilization, 'the old(舊)' was not just 'past' and 'old-fashioned' things, but rather an obstacle to the building of new civilization. On the other hand, it contained the possibility of regeneration(新) for the Neo-Confucian scholars; that is, they suggested finding a guide into tomorrow by taking lessons from the past. The traditional knowledge system lost their holy status of learning(聖學) in the process of its change into a 'new learning(新學),' and religion and religious tradition also weakened. The traditional knowledge system could change itself into modern learning by accepting scientific methodology which pursues objectivity and rationality. This transformation of the traditional knowledge system and 'the formation of the new learning from the old learning' was accompanied by the intersection between the old and new conceptions. It is necessary to pay attention to the role played by the concept of Sil(hak)(實學) or Practical Learning in the intersection of the old and new conceptions. Various modern media published before and after the 20th century show clearly the multi-layered development of the old and new conceptions, and it is noticeable that 'Sil(hak)' as conceptual frame of reference contributed to the transformation of the traditional knowledge system into the new learning. Although Silhak often designated, or was even considered equivalent to, the Western learning, Neo-Confucian scholars reinterpreted the concept of 'Silhak' which the theorists of civilization had monopolized until then, and opened the way to change the traditional knowledge system into the new learning. They re-appropriated the concept of Silhak, and enabled it to be invested with values, which were losing their own status due to the overwhelming scientific technology. With Japanese occupation of Korea by force, the attempt to transform the traditional knowledge system independently was obliged to reach its own limit, but its theory of 'making new learning from old one' can be considered to get over both the contradiction of Dondoseogi(東道西器: principle of preserving Eastern philosophy while accepting Western technology) and the de-subjectivity of the theory of civilization. While developing its own logic, the theory of Dongdoseogi was compelled to bring in the contradiction of considering the indivisible(道and 器) as divisible, though it tried to cope with the reality where the principle of morality and that of competition were opposed each other and the ideologies of 'evolution' and 'progress' prevailed. On the other hand, the theory of civilization was not free from the criticism that it brought about a crack in subjectivity due to its internalization of the West, cutting itself off from the traditional knowledge system.

본고는 서양 근대 문명 수용 초기(1890~1910)에 발생한 신구 관념의 대립과 충돌을 중심으로 전통 지식 체계의 변용을 역사의미론적으로 탐색함으로써 한국의 근대를 성찰하는 데 목적이 있다. 한국에서 신구 관념을 놓고 벌어진 주체 간의 투쟁은 전통개신론자들과 문명개화론자들의 주장에서 첨예하게 드러났다. 서양의 충격에서 비롯된 신구 관념의 대립과 충돌은 우주 자연으로부터 사회 정치체제, 학술?문화 등 모든 부문에서 인식의 전환을 요구하였지만, 전통 지식 체계를 이해하는 시각에는 다소 차이가 있었다. 신구 관념에 따른 전통 지식 체계의 구축과 변용과정에서 문명개화론자들에게 '구(舊)'는 단순히 과거의 '지나간', '오래된' 것이 아니라 파괴하고 제거하지 않으면 새로운 문명 건설을 방해하는 장애물이었다. 그러나 전통개신론자들에게 '구(舊)'는 '온고지신(溫故知新)'의 이념 속에서 다시 '신(新)'으로 거듭날 수 있는 가능성을 내함하고 있는 '개신(改新)'의 대상이었다. 박은식의 "유교구신론(儒敎求新論)"이나 한용운의 "조선불교유신론(朝鮮佛敎維新論)"은 전통 지식 체계를 '신학(新學)'으로 재편하려한 대표적인 시도였다. 보편성과 객관성, 합리성을 추구하는 과학적 방법을 수용함으로써 전통 지식 체계는 근대적인 학문으로 변화할 수 있었다. 그러나 신학(新學)으로 변화하는 과정에서 성학(聖學)으로서의 위상은 탈각되었고, 신앙과 종교적 전통 또한 약화될 수밖에 없었다. 이러한 전통 지식 체계의 변용과 '구학의 신학화' 과정에서 신구 관념의 교차가 발생하였다. 여기서 특히 신구 관념의 교차를 가능하게 한 '실(實)(학(學))' 개념에 주목할 필요가 있다. 20세기 전후 발간된 다종의 근대 매체는 신구 관념의 다층적 전개 양상을 여실히 보여주는데, 전통 지식 체계가 신학(新學)으로 변용될 수 있었던 계기로서 '실학'이라는 개념적 준거틀이 작동하였음을 확인할 수 있다. 물론 이 시기 실학이 지칭하는 대상은 대체로 서양의 학문인 '신학(新學)'을 표상하고 심지어 등치되기도 했지만, 전통개신론자들은 문명개화론자들이 점유하였던 '실학' 개념과 그 의미를 재해석함으로써 전통 지식 체계를 신학으로 바꿀 수 있었다. 이들은 과학 기술에 압도되어 점차로 거세되어가던 전통적 가치를 '신학' 수용의 토대로 인식하고, '실학(實學)'을 개념을 준거로 하여 '신학(新學)'을 재전유(再專有)(re-appropriation)하였다. 일제의 강점이 구체화 되어 전통 지식 체계의 주체적 변용 시도는 일정한 한계에 직면할 수밖에 없었지만 '구학의 신학화'는 '동도서기(東道西器)' 논리가 지닌 모순과 문명개화론의 탈주체성을 넘어서는 것으로 평가할 수 있다. 도덕 원리와 경쟁 원리가 충돌하고 '진화'와 '진보'가 대세인 현실에 대응하려했던 '동도서기(東道西器)' 논리는 이미 분리될 수 없는 도(道)와 기(器)를 분리 가능한 것으로 상정해야만 성립되는 모순을 안고 있었고, 문명개화론은 서양을 내면화하여 자기 비하와 멸시로 주체의 균열을 야기하고 전통 지식 체계로부터 단절됐다는 비판에서 자유로울 수 없기 때문이다.