Yi I appreciate the value of Lao-zi contrary to Joseon Confucian scholars’ negative attitude about Lao-zi. Yi I selected two-fifth of Lao-zi’s contents and edited newly with his annotation. According to his philosophical thought, he deleted and tr...
Yi I appreciate the value of Lao-zi contrary to Joseon Confucian scholars’ negative attitude about Lao-zi. Yi I selected two-fifth of Lao-zi’s contents and edited newly with his annotation. According to his philosophical thought, he deleted and transformed Lao-zi’s concepts. Yi I’s studies demonstrated the connection between Taoism and Confucianism finally. Based on his studies, this paper explored several important ideas of Chun-yan. Chun-yan includes philosophical ideas such as ke-ji-zhi-yu 克己窒慾, qian-xu-zi-mu 謙虛自牧, jing-zhong-zi-shou 靜重自守 and ci-jian-lin-min 慈簡臨民, etc. With a thorough research and discussion about the concepts in Chun-yan with Confucianism’s thoughts like “li-qi 理氣”, “jiao-qi-zhi 矯氣質”, “wu-shi 務實” and so on, Yi I indicated Chun-ya’s “yi-ru-jie-lao 以儒解老” viewpoints clearly.
All thing considered, Yi I comprehended the concepts of Lao-zi by using Confucian ideas, and presented a new interpretation which is distinct from tradition. He transformed, deleted the philosophical concepts of Lao-zi in accordance with Confucian thinking structure of xiu-ji-zhi-ren 修己治人, and thus he intended to emphasize on actual utility of Lao-zi. Nevertheless Yi I suggested it is possible that Confucianism embraced Taoism by building up the separated ideological system of Chunyan under the perspective of “yi-ru-jie-lao”. In other words, he considered that there is an intimate connection between the concepts of Lao-zi and the Confucian ideas, and presented the possibility to interpret Lao-zi with Confucian thought.