현재 2022 개정 도덕과 교육과정의 한국 윤리 사상에서 다루고 있는 유교 학자는 퇴계 이황(李滉, 1501~1570), 율곡 이이(李珥, 1536~1584), 다산 정약용(丁若鏞, 1762~1836)이다. 교육과정에서 다루고 있는 유교 사상의 대표성이나 저술의 양과 질에 비추어 볼 때 한국 유교 사상의 내용 서술에는 큰 무리는 없다고 볼 수 있다. 그러나 정규 교육과정을 따라가는 학생 입장에서 유학 사상은 어려운 내용인 데다가 주로 대표성을 띠는 학자 군이 남성학자이기 때문에 학교 구성원의 절반에 해당하는 여학생들에게는 다소 거리감이 있고 흥미를 갖기 어려운 측면이 있다. 그런데 조선 후기 여성 성리학자들의 생각과 면모를 엿볼 수 있는 유고집이 남아 있을 뿐만 아니라 교육적 의미를 담고 있는 내용과 이야기가 있다면 적극적으로 학생들에게 소개할 가치는 충분할 것이다. 더구나 외국학자에 의해 여성 성리학자인 임윤지당(任允摯堂, 1721~1793)과 강정일당(姜靜一堂, 1772~1832)이 해외 학회에 소개되고 있는 상황이다. 이렇듯 주목을 받고 있는 18세기 여성 성리학자들이 삶의 과정에서 만났던 도덕 현상에 대한 가장 적절한 답을 얻고자 경전을 읽고 성인(聖人)이 되고자 노력했던 내용은 오늘날의 학생들에게도 좋은 귀감이 될 학습 내용이므로 향후 도덕과 교육과정에서 가볍게라도 다룰 수 있도록 학생들에게 소개하는 것은 이 시대에 필요하다고 본다.
The Confucian scholars currently covered in Korean ethical thought in the 2022 revised morality and curriculum are Toegye Lee Hwang(李滉, 1501-1570), Yulgok Lee I(李珥, 1536-1584), and Dasan Jeong Yak-yong(丁若鏞, 1762-1836). Considering the representativeness of Confucian thought covered in the curriculum and the quantity and quality of the writings, it can be said that there is no major difficulty in describing the content of Korean Confucian thought. However, from the perspective of students following the regular curriculum, Confucianism is difficult content, and because the representative group of scholars is mainly male, the female students, who make up half of the school members, feel somewhat distant and find it difficult to be interested in it. However, if there were female Neo-Confucian scholars in the late Joseon Dynasty, and if there are still collections of posthumous works that give a glimpse into the thoughts and aspects of those female scholars, as well as content and stories that contain educational meaning, it would be worth actively introducing them to students. Moreover, female Neo-Confucian scholars Im Yun-ji-dang(任允摯堂, 1721-1793) and Kang Jeong-il-dang(姜靜一堂, 1772-1832) are being introduced to overseas academic societies by foreign scholars. The author believes that there is a reason to actively introduce female Confucian scholars who are receiving such attention in future moral education courses. The purpose of the 2022 revised moral education curriculum is to support the human image presented in the general theory, ‘a leading person with inclusiveness and creativity,’ at the level of values and morality(Ministry of Education, 2022:3). In addition, the common competencies pursued in the four subjects are ‘Modern Society and Ethics’ in the moral and high school general elective area, ‘Ethics and Thought’ and ‘Humanities and Ethics’ in the career elective area, and ‘Exploration of Ethical Issues’ in the convergence elective area. In general, the purpose is to foster reflection and integrated capabilities on the content of ethical thinking and ways of thinking, focusing on ethical questions about moral phenomena that appear in the student’s own life and society(Ministry of Education, 2022: 27-28). In light of these goals and directions of the subject, the 18th-century female Neo-Confucianists’ efforts to read the scriptures and become saints in order to obtain the most appropriate answers to the moral phenomena they encountered in the course of their lives are also good for today’s students. It will be a role model. Therefore, I think it is necessary in this era to introduce the perspectives of female Neo-Confucian scholars Im Yun-ji-dang(任允摯堂, 1721-1793) and Gang Jeong-il-dang(姜靜一堂, 1772-1832) to students so that they can be handled even lightly in educational settings.