• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.54
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• pp.77-102
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• 2014

The study will examine SeongHo Lee Yik(星湖 李瀷)'s thought through his ZhongYongJiShu("中庸疾書"). The book is said that dealing with what was not dealt with in ZhongYongZhanJu("中庸章句") by one's own understanding gained through doubt(懷疑를 통한 自得) is ZhongYongJiShu("中庸疾書"). As with a metaphor of a peach in HouShuo("後說"), SeongHo(星湖) wrote ZhongYongJiShu("中庸疾書") based on his own understanding through skepticism. He divides the chapters of the book using a different method. Chapters 2 to 11 are considered as KongziZhongYong(孔子中庸) that is, quotes of Confucius, and chapters 12 to 30 as explanatory texts that offer explanations of the quotes. Chapter 1 is preface and chapter 33 closing remark. However, a clear explanation is required for the reason why chapter 1 should be preface and chapter 33 should be closing remark. SeongHo(星湖) offers an explanation for the appearance of ZhongYong("中庸") in the title of the book. He indicated that for giving life to the meaning of chapter 1, ZhongHe(中和) should have been used in the place of ZhongYong ("中庸"), but since it was the preface of KongziZhongYong(孔子中庸), Zhong Yong("中庸") was used from KongziZhongYong(孔子中庸). SeongHo(星湖) followed XingJiLi(性卽理) based on the interpretation of chapter 1 and chapter 20. In this way, he followed a Neo-Confucian proposition which is called XingJiLi(性卽理), defining Xing(性). That showed his interpretation was still based on Zhuzi(朱子). According to SeongHo(星湖), ZhongYong("中庸") is mainly on Cheng(誠), and he dealt with Cheng(誠) in ZhongYong("中庸"). Since Cheng(誠) is an important concept in the later part of the book, ZhongYongJiShu("中庸疾書") was focusing on Cheng(誠) for the later part. However, Cheng(誠) was a concept that was not paid much attention than KongziZhongYong(孔子中庸), so it is just a part of explanatory texts, according to SeongHo(星湖).