茶山의 牧民觀으로 본 現代 公職倫理 硏究 : 『牧民心書』를 중심으로 = A study on Modern Public Ethics from Dasan’(茶山) Mokmingwan(牧民觀): Focusing on “Mokminsimseo(牧民心書)”

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the current methods of establishing public service ethics for public officials in Korea, in focusing on the Mokminsimseo(牧民心書) written by Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, a representative Silhak(實學) scholar of the late Joseon Dynasty. According to Transparency International(TI), South Korea’s Corruption Perception Index(CPI) ranked 30th out of 180 countries in 2024. Given our country’s national awareness level, which boasts a global K-culture, and our economic power, which ranks within the top 10 in the world, this ranking is by no means appropriate. To maintain international competitiveness and achieve an advanced welfare state, a standard of ethics for public officials must be established.
During the late Joseon Dynasty, Dasan authored Mokminsimseo while in exile in Gangjin, seeking to promptly improve the lives of the people impoverished by the oppression of corrupt local officials. Corruption among public officials responsible for local governance has not been eradicated even in the present day, more than two centuries later. One contributing factor is the tendency to address issues of public ethics through reliance on external mechanisms, such as legal regulations and institutional arrangements. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore ways to establish public service ethics among contemporary public officials by focusing on the personal moral reflection and self-cultivation of individuals(修身), which Dasan emphasized in Mokminsinseo as the proper governing principles of local officials.
Although Dasan does not accept the existence of Heaven in a religious sense, he nonetheless affirms the personal nature of God. That is, Dasan argued that Heaven, conceived as taeheo(太虛, the grate void), an empty space devoid of spiritual awareness(靈明性) and cognition, lacks the ability to preside over or govern all beings. These views of Dasan appear to be intended to underscore the normative claim that, because the spiritual luminosity of the Supreme Lord(上帝) directly communicates with the human moral mind(道心) and observes humans through the luminosity of that moral mind, the gentleman must practice self-vigilance(愼獨) at all times and in all places. Dasan viewed human beings as shinhyeong-myohap(神形妙合) entities, in which spirit and physical form are subtly and mysteriously united. At this time, the chunyu(樞紐, hinge-centered) that combines the intangible mind and the tangible body is the action of the heart. Dasan did not focus on the mind as a fixed entity, but rather on the mind as an active entity where divine spirit is exerted.
Dasan categorizes the human mind into three functions: nature of human(性), Gwon-hyeong(權衡, choice), and Haengsa(行事, event). Dasan’s view of humanity is in the same context as the emphasis on moral practice in traditional Confucianism. Dasan believes that human are born with moral inclinations and jaju-jigwon(自主之權, autonomy), listen to their conscience, and practice filial piety(孝), respect(悌), and mercy(慈) in the human world, thereby accumulating the virtues benevolence(仁, Ren) and humanity. For Dasan, benevolence is practical and reality-oriented. Ren refers to an altruistic love oriented toward others rather than oneself. Dasan emphaasizes shu(恕, compassion) as a mediating principle in human relationships as a practical method for cultivating filial piety, respect, and mercy. The practical methods of shu include chushu(推恕, to measure others’ hearts by one’s own) and yoeungshu(容恕, the virtue of forgiving others’ mistakes with generosity).
The late Joseon period marked an era in which Western science and technology entered Korea through China with the emergence of the Qing dynasty, and, in the aftermath of the two major wars, society gradually came to accept the necessity for profound social transformation. As a representative Silhak thinker of the time, Dasan proposed the well-field system(井田法) and the surplus-field system(餘田法) as institutional means to realize iyong-husaeng(利用厚生, the promotion of practical use and the improvement of popular welfare). Dasan emphasized the reinforcement of royal authority for the purpose of social reform and proposed reforms of the performance evaluation system(考績制) as well as the establishment of a robust and centralized personnel administration. However, widespread corruption among local officials, together with the disorder and corruption of the Samjung(三政, namely the land tax, military service tax, and grain loan system), further aggravated the living conditions of the populace. In pursuit of gyeongse-chiyong(經世致用, the practical application of statecraft), Dasan advanced the principles of jiin(知人, the discernment of talent) and anmin(安民, the stabilization of the populace), and argued for a fair personnel system by reforming the civil service examination through the performance evaluation system and recommendation-based selection(薦擧).
In three gi(紀, self-discipline) of the Mokminsimseo, methods by which a local magistrate regulates himself(修己) and governs others(治人) are described in detail through illustrative cases. These principles may be understood as universal values of public service ethics that remain applicable to contemporary public officials. Revisiting Dasan’s conception of the mokmingwan(牧民觀, the philosophy of the people-governing official) more than two centuries after its articulation is meaningful insofar as it embodies universal principles of public service ethics that transcend time and remain applicable to contemporary public officials. Accordingly, the researcher formulates and proposes six measures for the establishment of modern public service ethics grounded in Dasan’s conception of the mokmingwan. First, it is the practice of personal integrity and frugal living on the part of public officials. Second, the strengthening of competencies to enhance the professional expertise of public officials. Third, a work ethic grounded in devotion to the people and selfless service to the public(愛民‧滅私奉公). Fourth, compliance with laws and regulations and fair personnel management. Fifth, the strict separation of public and private interests and the reinforcement of accountability. Sixth, the establishment of a citizen-participatory oversight system for state affairs.
Since its inauguration on June 4, 2025, the current administration has advanced three guiding principles of governance—listening and integration, fairness and trust, and pragmatism and performance. The president’s direct engagement with citizens in the process of state governance signals a commitment to the fair and transparent implementation of public policies and serves as an institutional foundation for cultivating a new K-public service culture. The president’s spirit of service toward the people resonates with the principle emphasized by Dasan more than two centuries ago—that “the ruler(牧) exists for the people(民).” In conclusion, within today’s increasingly multipolar international environment, the establishment of robust public service ethics among modern public officials constitutes an essential mission of the times for ensuring the nation’s stable development and the well-being of its citizens.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 목 차
• Abstract 1
• Ⅰ. 서론
• 1. 연구목적 6
• 2. 선행연구 검토 10
• 3. 연구범위와 연구방법 14
• Ⅱ. 다산 목민관의 철학적 기초
• 1. 다산의 상제관 17
• 1) 인격적 주재천(主宰天) 17
• 2) 심(心)의 영명성(靈明性) 21
• 2. 다산의 인간관 26
• 1) 신형묘합(神形妙合) 26
• 2) 자주지권(自主之權) 31
• 3. 다산의 경세관 35
• 1) 민본주의(民本主義) 35
• 2) 신아구방(新我舊邦) 40
• Ⅲ. 『목민심서』 체계와 내용
• 1. 『목민심서』 저술 배경 46
• 1) 실천적 애민정신 46
• 2) 사회적 상황 50
• 2. 『목민심서』 10편 60조의 내용 53
• 1) 3기(三紀)‧위민(爲民) 53
• 2) 6전(六典)의 지방행정 72
• Ⅳ. 다산 목민관의 공직윤리
• 1. 목민관의 실천적 윤리 86
• 1) 인(仁)의 이해 86
• 2) 효(孝)‧제(悌)‧자(慈) 89
• 2. 목민관의 공직윤리 기초 92
• 1) 수기(修己)‧치인(治人) 92
• 2) 청심(淸心)‧절용(節用) 97
• 3) 애민(愛民)‧진황(賑荒) 101
• 3. 경세치용(經世致用)의 실제 105
• 1) 이용후생(利用厚生) 105
• 2) 지인(知人)‧안민(安民) 109
• Ⅴ. 현대 공직자의 바람직한 공직윤리 확립방안
• 1. 공직자 개인의 윤리 115
• 1) 맑은 행정 115
• 2) 가족 관리 118
• 3) 청탁 근절 123
• 2. 전문 직업인의 윤리 127
• 1) 근무기강 확립 127
• 2) 공정한 인사관리 131
• 3) 투명한 성과평가 135
• 3. 위민 행정가의 윤리 139
• 1) 노인복지 139
• 2) 어린이 보호 143
• 3) 재해‧재난 예방 148
• Ⅵ 결론
• 참고문헌 158
• 표목차
• 【표-1】: 공직자윤리법 조항 7
• 【표-2】: 『목민심서』 구성 내용 54