A New Approach to Chen Men’s Ridicule of Kongzi = A New Approach to Chen Men’s Ridicule of Kongzi

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

在“子路宿于石門”篇中, “晨門”對孔子周流列國之擧的態度究竟如何？ 對此問題, 先賢巨匠的釋讀觀點旣精彩紛呈又存有爭論。在分析《論語》原典和諸家注釋的基礎上, 本文認爲“晨門”之“知其不可而爲之”一語應是在譏諷孔子；但是“晨門”的譏諷却恰好反證了孔子高尙的品格和對人類社會發展的眞切關懷；同時, “知其不可而爲之”從另外一種側面揭示了儒家的精神骨幹。

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The “Xian wen” 憲問chapter in the Lunyu 論語contains Chen Men’s 晨門remark about Kongzi 孔子(551-479 BCE). Kongzi was well known for his travel to feudal states to preach his political ideals. Of this effort, Chen Men remarked that Kongi was “doing things though he know they are unworkable” (zhi qi bu ke er wei zhi 知其不可而爲之). Chen Men’s remark has typically been understood as a ridicule of Kongzi. While there have been various debates on the nature of the Chen Men’s criticism of Kongzi’s behavior and diverse interpretations are possible it seems clear that Chen Men’s ridicule of Kongzi attests to Kongzi’s lofty moral integrity and idealistic devotion to improving human society. The effort and devotion exemplified by Kongzi are usually understood as the essence of Confucian morale and value.
The ridicule implied by "knowing it is impossible" can be said to represent the evaluation of Confucius and all Confucian scholars made by the people at that time. Such comments made by them can be regarded as purely a criticism of Confucius, who did not know much about the lives of ordinary people in the real political world at that time, and only pursued ideals that departed from reality. Confucius' perseverance was not accepted by those in power at the time. It is not an appropriate dimension to interpret Confucianism from the perspective of popularization, idealization, and deification.
[Article in Chinese]