韓儒四端七情論辯的展開及其意義

Process of the four-seven debate at Choson dynasty and modern its meaning

儒學是成德之教，通過充分發揮自己所有的道德實踐的力量，才可以完成道德人格，最後實踐到社會上為其窮極目的。所以朝鮮所進行的四端七情之辯，也就為了這個目的要建立理論根據而進行。退溪一生為了建立道德主體性而努力，栗谷則一生為了改革社會而努力。所以有的人視退溪的哲學為道德理想主義，視栗谷的哲學為革弊更張論。可是從歷史上看，栗谷學派的發展，一方面強調時宜變通，可是另一方面卻朝著名分義理論進行的。退溪的工夫論一方面帶著理想主義的色彩，可是另一方面卻推動了實學派的改革制度論。可知實踐還是在個人的選擇與決斷。由此看，四端七情論辯是當今還在進行中的課題。

Lee huang (李滉) and Qi da-cheng (奇大升) had argued the question in terms of two set of feelings: the purely good Four Beginnings (四端) and the sometimes good and sometimes evil Seven Feelings (七情) at early Choson (朝鮮) dynasty. And then “The four-seven debate” established a distinctive problematique that strongly oriented Korean Neo-Confucian thought towards exacting investigation of critical issues regarding the juncture of metaphysics and their all-important application in describing the inner life of the human heart-and-mind. Even though the debate sometimes had caused unessential doctrine, it is permanent question in search of human nature.