이 글은 「삼봉집」의 典據를 통해서 외래사상의 수용 양상을 파악하고 정도전 사상의 특징을 살펴보려는 것이다.
「삼봉집」은 정도전의 저술을 모아 일시에 간행한 것이 아니라, 개별 저술을 작성 시기에 맞추어 간행하고, 죽은 후에 모아진 자료를 간행한 것이다. 「삼봉집」은 중국 한, 당, 송, 원의 다양한 서적이 활용되어, 정도전 사상의 知的 토대를 알게 해준다. 정도전이 개혁을 위해 활용한 서적은 「주자대전」, 「주자어류」, 「大學或問」, 「대학연의」, 「호안국춘추」이고, 왕안석의 「주관신의」와 「주례정의」, 「산당고색」과 백과전서식 類書이다.
「經濟文鑑」에서는 인용 전거를 분명하게 표시하지 않았고, 인용표시를 하여도 잘못된 경우가 많다. 「周禮訂義」의 ‘呂氏曰’이라는 呂東萊의 말이 「經濟文鑑」의 ‘近按’이라는 權近의 말로 바뀌거나, 「周禮訂義」의 ‘愚按’ 곧 王與之의 말이 「經濟文鑑」에서 ‘道傳按’ 곧 鄭道傳의 말로 바뀐 것이다. 이러한 「經濟文鑑」의 인용 불철저는 성리학이 正統, 正學으로 받아들여진 시점에서, 주자가 비판한 事功學 계열의 類書를 드러내놓고 인용할 수 없는 정치상황 때문인 것으로 생각된다.
정도전은 성리학을 기초로 한 정치개혁을 추구하였고, 유학의 道統에 충실하며 불교 비판에 철저하였다. 단, 새로운 왕조의 정치체제를 확립하기 위하여 倫理道德, 人性 뿐만 아니라 제도와 법제에 관한 자료도 필요하였고, 이를 위해서 性理學의 外延이 확대된 經世論을 받아들였다.
여선교체기 성리학을 정통, 정학으로 파악하는 방식은 조선초기에 강화된다. 체제 안정을 위한 성리학의 윤리규범이 강조되고, 성리학을 國定敎學으로 확립해가면서, 불교, 양명학 등 성리학 이외의 여타 사상은 용납되지 않게 되었던 것이다.
In this article, how a foreign philosophical trend was imported into Korea, and what were the characteristics of Jeong Do Jeon's thoughts, are examined through many references found in 「Sambong-jib」.
「Sambong-jib」 was not compiled at once with a collection of Jeong Do Jeon's writings. His individual papers were compiled in a chronological order and then published, and materials collected after his death were published as well. In its compilation and publication, various sources such as books from the Chinese Han, Dang, Sung and Yuan eras were consulted, and it shows us the origin and intellectual basis of Jeong Do Jeon's philosophy. Books that Jeong Do Jeon consulted when he was devising his own ideas of reforms were 「Juja Daejeon(Grand collection of Ju Hi's words)」, 「Juja Eoryu(Remarks of Ju Hi)」, 「Daehak Hokmun/大學或問」, 「Daehak Yeoneui」, 「Hoanguk Chunchu」, and Wang An Seok's 「Jugwan Shineui」 and 「Juryae Jeongeui」, 「Sandang Gosaek」 and other encyclopedic texts(類書).
Yet in 「Gyeongjae Mungam/經濟文鑑」, in many cases, sources of citation are not indicated definitively, or correctly. Yeo Dong Rae/呂東萊's remarks, which originally began with the sentence 'According to Yeo-shi(呂氏曰)...' in 「Juryae Jeongeui/周禮訂義」, were quoted as Gweon Geun/權近's remarks, with the sentence of ‘Gweon reasoned(近按)...’ in 「Gyeongjae Mungam」. Wang Yeo Ji/王與之's remarks, which began with the sentence ‘I humbly figure(愚按)...’ in 「Juryae Jeongeui」, were quoted as Jeong Do Jeon's own words, with the sentence ‘Do Jeon figured(道傳按)...’ in 「Gyeongjae Mungam」. This kind of 'false' citations in 「Gyeongjae Mungam」 seems to be the product of the political atmosphere of the time, when Neo-Confucianism was already accepted and embraced as the 'ultimate studies'(正統) or the 'ultimately valid studies'(正學), and it became difficult and awkward to openly quote encyclopedic texts authored in the line of Sagong-hak/事功學 studies, which Ju Hi had fairly criticised.
Jeong Do Jeon pursued a political reform based upon Neo-Confucianism, so he was very faithful to the legitimate line(道統) of Confucian studies, and he also harshly criticised Buddhism. Yet, in order to establish a political structure for the new dynasty, he had to consult sources not only in the area of morality and human nature studies, but also in the area of laws and institutional researches. So he had to go beyond the realm of Neo-Confucianism, and embrace the general arguments that had been suggested by other Confucian scholars regarding the task of governing the world(經世論).
The perspective which was established during the transitional period between Goryeo and Joseon, viewing Neo-Confucianism as the ultimate study, was even reinforced in the early days of Joseon. In order to secure national stability, Neo-Confucianism's morality and standards were emphasized, the study itself was established as a National doctrine, and other kinds of philosophy or religion, like Buddhism or Yangmyeong-hak studies, were no longer tolerated in the Joseon society.