• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.41
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• pp.61-90
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• 2010

In this paper, I focused on analyzing Yeoheon Chang Hyeon-gwang's literary theory and his prose in the genealogy of Confucian scholars in Chosun. Through this study, I would like to examine the trend of concentrating on 16th century when we treat the literary tendency of Confucian scholars. With this goal, I tried to seek the direction which was pursued by Confucian scholars who lived during the 17th century. Yeoheon tried to construct the spirit of humanities cosmically as an aim of his life, study, and literature. And he had a new understanding of human independence by suffering from Japanese invasion in the late of 16th century. He insisted that only human can realize the spirit of humanities on a cosmic base. He also thought that the morality(道) could be settled only by literature(文). We may interpret this concept as a progressive idea about literature comparing to the former Confucian scholars. On the other hands, Yeoheon tried to accept the literary theory of former scholars such like Park Young, Cho Sik, and Seong Woon who embraced Taoism. Yet he erased the color of Taoism in the field of topic, and he also tried to keep his distance from them in the field of literary form. This concept actually came from Lee Hwang's opinion, while Yeoheon tried to rouse scholar's independence. Through above, we may realize that the Confucian scholars of 17th century were not just imitators of 16th century. They tried to examine the former study and also tried to renew the theory.