Scholarship and Self-Cultivation: Reconstruction, Dissemination, and Internalization of Confucian Thought in Joseon through the Xiaoxue 小學

The introduction of Zhu Xi’s 朱熹 Xiaoxue 小學 (Little Learning) opened up opportunities for reconstruction of the Confucian knowledge framework in Joseon. Scholars reviewed the role of the Four Books and Five Classics while imbibing from Neo-Confucian philosophy. A localized Confucian knowledge system started to take shape. On the one hand, the Joseon court implemented the hangnyeong (code of conduct) and “Nongmyeong” systems, promoting the status of the Xiaoxue. On the other hand, county schools and regional institutions in areas such as Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do stressed the significance of the book for self-cultivation, rather than competition for officialdom, reflecting the Joseon scholars’ initiative in a locally-oriented elaboration of Confucianism.

《小學》東傳朝鮮半島，開啟了儒家知識框架重構的契機。據此，朝鮮士人重新評估“四書五經”的價值，及其與《小學》和宋儒性理學等新興知識的同時，亦創發了具有朝鮮本土特色的學習規模，展開了儒家本土化的進程。在這個新舊知識的交融調和過程之中，朝鮮中央政府嘗試通過成均館“學令”的修訂和“錄名”制度的確立，向朝鮮士人闡揚《小學》的重要性，期望拓寬它的普及程度；另一方面，在鄉校和書院的學習規範內，朝鮮士人倡言《小學》應該用在立志修身之上，不得專爲科場服務。從《小學》在朝鮮境內擴散的現實狀況中，我們考察到朝鮮士人所扮演的關鍵角色，特別在慶尚道和全羅道一帶，尤其顯著，他們立足在朝鮮民族性格和自身文化的特徵上，主導儒家文化的傳承和發展，對來自華夏的文化開展無限的探索旅程。