In Yoo Jong-won’s Fable, an Analysis of “for the Nation and Society” and “for the Benefit and Safety of the People”
柳宗元(773~819)은 唐代의 정치계・사상계・문학계에서 뚜렷한 업적을 남긴 당송팔 대가 중의 한 분으로서 중국의 산문사(散文史)를 대표할만한 문장가이다. 왕숙문(王 叔文)이 이끄는 혁신집단에 참가하여 정치개혁을 추진하지만 실패하여 14년이라는 긴 세월을 영주(永州)와 유주(柳州) 두 폄적지(貶謫地)에서 보내게 된다. 죄인의 신분 으로 정치적 이상을 펼칠 수 없게 되자 “시대에 도움을 주고 만물에 영향을 주는 道 를 지금 펼칠 수 없다면 마땅히 후세에 남겨야 할 것이다. (輔時及物之道, 不可陳於 今, 則宜垂於後)”라는 신념으로 국가・사회・백성들을 위한 우언을 창작하였다. 따라서 본고에서는 柳宗元의 우언에서 보여주는 “보시급물(輔時及物)”과 “이안원원(利安元 元)”사상에 주안점을 두고 두 사상의 정의와 창작배경을 정리하고 또 이 두 사상이 내포된 우언 작품을 문학적인 관점에서 분석해 보았다.
Yu Jong-won (773~819) is one of the eight Tangsongdae who made clear achievements in the political, ideological, and literary worlds of the time of China and is a writer who can represent China's prose history. He participated in an innovation group led by Wang Sook-moon and promoted political reform, but failed, and spent 14 long years in two places, Yeongju and Yuju. When he was unable to fulfill his political ideals as a sinner, he created a fable for the benefit and safety of the nation, society, and the people, with the determination that “if he cannot carry out the Tao that helps the times and affects all things now, he should inform future generations.” Throughout the sentence, Yoo Jong-won emphasized that the Tao of Yo, Soon, and Confucius is the basis of the ideas of “for the benefit of the state and society” and “for the benefit and safety of the people”, and revealed that it is his ideal to realize the Tao of Yo, Soon, and Confucius. Therefore, this paper analyzed how the two ideas were reflected in Yoo Jong-won's fable from a literary perspective, focusing on the ideas of “for the benefit of the state and society” and “for the benefit and safety of the people”.