Neo-Confucianism: The Impulse for Social Action in Early Yi Korea

Abstract

Neo-Confucianism: The Impulse for Social Action in Early Yi Korea MARTINA DEUCHLER lhe transformation of Korean society during the early Yi dynasty (1392-1910) was not a reform in the conventional sense: it was not merely a reorganization of defective institutions. Rather, it was a massive shifting of Korean society away from the culture of KoryS (935-1392) through the application of neo-Confucian concepts and values and a unique experiment in social engineering. Previous scholarship has examined the political and economic aspects of the transition period from Koryö to Yi, but few studies have described the intellectual milieu in which the transition took place.1 This paper investigates the ideological assumptions of the founders of the Yi dynasty, their motives for adopting neo-Confucianism, and the methods by which they sought to implement their newly found creed in Korean society. The intention of the scholar-officials was not just the building of another dynasty but the creation of a Confucian dynasty. THE RISE OF NEW DYNASTIC FORCES When Yi T'aejo (Yi Söng-gye, 1335-1408) ascended the throne in 1392, the existing sociopolitical order was not a moral polity in the Confucian sense. Reform programs, begun during the reign of The research upon which this work is based was made possible by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation. 1. The two most important studies exploring the political and economic background of the transition period from late Koryô to early Yi are Han U-gün, "Yömal Sönch'o üi pulgyo chöngch'aek," Souldae nonmunjip, inmun sahoe kwahak 6 (1957): 1-80, and Yi Sang-baek, "Yubul yanggyo dyodae üi kiyön e taehan il yon'gu" Han'guk munhwasa yön'gu non'go (1948), pp. 1-170. The transmission of neo-Confucianism to Korea is studied in Yun Yong-gyun, Shushigaku no denrai to sono eikyö ni tsuite (1933). 71 72Journal ofKorean Studies King Kongmin of Koryö (r. 1352-74), were ineffective in revitalizing the country after almost a century of Mongol domination. Royal authority was eroded, and the fate of the country was largely in the hands of an aristocracy that had built its power base under foreign protection and opposed reforms aimed at strengthening the king's rule. Recurrent invasions by the Red Turbans in the north, devastating raids by Japanese pirates (wak3) along the coasts, and repeated attempts by the Mongols to maintain a dominant voice in Koryö internal politics did not create a climate conducive to reform. These events favored the reemergence of a military establishment that opposed reform. Moreover, Kongmin's prestige as a reformer was irreparably damaged when he placed an obscure monk, Sin Ton (P-1371), in command of government affairs.2 Although some reforms, especially in education, were moderately successful, Sin Ton failed to break the aristocracy's grip on power. He was criticized by the newly emergent scholar-officials who could not advance in government careers despite their success in the civil service examinations. Dynastic change in China, Sin Ton's fall from power in 1371, and King Kongmin's assassination three years later opened the possibility of a far-reaching realignment of political forces. The last kings of Koryö lost their credibility as rulers through questionable succession practices, and supreme power eventually shifted to the military, who propelled themselves into commanding positions during the declining years of Koryö. The triumph of the alliance between Yi Söng-gye, the military hero, and the Confucian scholar-officials was the founding of the Yi dynasty. The new rulers faced formidable tasks: consolidation of the country's territory, reconstruction of the bureaucracy, reorganization of local administration, extensive land reforms, increasing agricultural productivity , and social regeneration. The solution of the problems besetting Korean society was instrumental not only in striking a new balance between land and people, but also in introducing a new sense of order and security into society. The transition from Koryö to early Yi did not bring about abrupt institutional changes. Koryö political institutions were taken over as the organizational basis of the new government but their framework was tightened by increasing bureaucratization and centralization; royal power was concentrated in the...