정제두에 의하면 본원적으로 天과 人은 一元이며 天地萬物과 人은 一體이다. 그리고 인간은 천지의 靈으로서의 人心을 통해 자연만물과 감응하면서 천지의 만물 화육에 주체적으로 참여할 수 있다. 그러나 현실적으로 인간은 단지 이러한 영명한 人心을 지니고 있는 것만으로 아무런 장애나 노력 없이 천지만물과 하나 됨 삶을 살 수 있는 것은 아니다. 본 논문에서는 인간이 자연만물과 하나 된 삶을 살기 위해 修養이 필요한 이유와 구체적인 수양 방법들에 대해 고찰하고, 정제두 수양론이 지니는 생태론적 의의에 대해 살펴보았다.
인간은 영명한 人心만이 아닌 개체욕망(私欲)의 발동 가능성을 안고 있다. 개체욕망은 우주적 차원의 자아를 망각한 채 天과 人을 둘로 나누어 버리고 자신의 육신만을 ‘나’라고 여기며 육신의 편안함과 이익만을 추구함으로써 天人一元의 타고난 본성을 차폐시킨다. 개체욕망은 인간의 본성과 감정의 작용에 過․不及을 야기함으로써 자연만물과의 온전한 감응 작용을 가로막고, 종국에는 자신의 욕망 충족을 위해 자연만물을 손상시키고 파괴하는 문제를 야기한다. 따라서 인간은 사욕을 제거하고 영명한 마음이 천지만물과 온전하게 감응토록 하는 후천적 ‘修養’을 필요로 한다.
현실 세계에서 인간이 천지만물과 하나 된 삶을 살기 위한 구체적 수양 방법으론 ‘四端의 확충’, ‘明明德과 親民의 一事’, ‘盡性을 통한 天地化育에의 참여’ 등을 들 수 있다. 이들은 모두 다음과 같은 공통점을 지닌다. 첫째, 本性, 明德, 四端, 良知, 禮義 등 다양하게 표현되지만 이들은 모두가 인간이 자연만물의 생명 손상을 자신의 아픔으로 느끼는 ‘痛覺의 주체’를 의미한다. 둘째, 이러한 통각의 주체가 하는 주된 기능은 바로 천지만물과의 ‘感應’이다. 감응은 자연만물의 손상을 아파하고 치유하며 이들을 보살피고 키워주는 실천적 행위를 포함한다. 셋째, 내가 자연만물과 감응하는 하나의 일이지만 감응 주체인 나로부터 보면 ‘明明德’, ‘成己’, ‘忠’이라 말하고, 감응되는 자연만물로부터 보면 ‘親民’, ‘成物’, ‘恕’라고 말하는 것일 뿐이다. 넷째, 나의 본성을 실현하는 일은 곧 자연만물의 본성 실현은 물론 천지의 만물 창생과 化育으로 귀결된다.
이러한 정제두 수양론의 생태론적 의의는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 서양의 환경윤리는 인식의 전환을 매우 중시하는 반면, 수양론에 대한 논의는 찾아보기 어려운 반면 정제두는 실제적인 수양을 매우 중시한다. 물론 자연은 인간 욕망 충족을 위한 도구와 수단이 아니라 하나의 소중한 생명이자 인간과 삶의 동반자라는 인식의 전환이 선행되어야 한다. 이러한 인식의 전환을 바탕으로 인간의 이기적 욕망을 극복하고 자연과 하나 된 삶의 살 수 있는 생태적 감수성을 회복하고 이를 확충해 나가는 끊임없는 노력이 수반되어야 한다. 이럴 때 인간은 진정으로 자연과 하나 된 삶을 살아갈 수 있는 계기를 마련한다. 둘째, 사회 생태론자인 머레이 북친이 이성만을 존중하고 영성, 감성, 감정 등을 열등한 것으로 취급하여 또 다른 위계화의 문제를 야기하는 반면, 정제두는 영성, 이성, 감성, 감정 등 인간의 내적 요소들을 우열의 문제 또는 대립적 관계 내지는 취사선택의 문제로 보지 않는다. 이러한 요소들은 모두 인간이 자연만물과 감응하는 데 있어 그 어느 것 하나 무시하거나 버릴 수 없는 주요한 요소들이다. 중요한 것은 수양을 통해 이러한 요소들이 자연만물과의 감응 과정에서 過․不及의 상태에 빠지지 않고 中節의 상태가 유지될 수 있도록 하는 것이다. 다양한 요소들의 균형과 조화를 중시함으로써 북친과 같이 이성 절대주의에 근거한 또 다른 위계의 가능성을 사전에 예방할 수 있다.
In Jeong Je Du’s view, first of all the Heaven and human have the same source (一元), and all things in the world and human are one and only body (一體). Furthermore, as the holiness (靈) of the world, human can communicate with others in the world through his mind (人心) and thus can participate as the subject in the improvement of the world. However in reality, despite this numinous and bright mind, if human does not make any endeavor, he will not be able to live together with other things in the world as a whole body. In this paper, the author would like to search for the important reasons for the cultivation (修養) aiming at the harmonious co-existence between human and things in the nature, the detailed methods for cultivating, and from those tries to find the ecological significance contained in Jeong Je Du’s theory of cultivation. Human has got not only the numinous and bright mind (人心), but also the propensity for the emergence of individual desires (私欲). The individual desires make human forget his own universal dimension, divide the Heaven and the human into two separate parts and abandon them, and regard only his physical body as his ‘ego’ himself and thus seek only the convenience to it, ignoring the innate character of ‘sharing the same source with the Heaven (天人一元)’. Those individual desires cause much excess and deficiency in human nature and feeling, to such an extent that it obstructs the communication and interaction between human and other things in the nature, and finally cause many problems when leading human to damage and destroy the nature only for the sake of human desires. Hence there is the necessity of the a posteriori ‘cultivation (修養)’ for human to eliminate his desires and harmoniously communicate with other things in the nature. In order for human to live in harmony with other things in the world, there are some detailed methods of cultivation such as ‘expanding the four sprouts (四端)’, ‘manifesting the illustrious virtue (明明德) and being close to the people (親民) as an undertaking (一事)’, ‘participating in the transformation and nourishment of the world (天地化育) by performing all innate nature (盡性)’ etc. They all share some similar features as follows. Firstly, though they are called by many names such as ‘innate nature (本性)’, ‘brilliant virtue (明德)’, ‘four sprouts (四端)’, ‘good knowledge (良知)’, ‘rites and righteousness (禮義)’, etc, these names all refer to ‘the subject sympathizing with sufferings (痛覺)’ - means human feels painful in front of other things’ damage of life. Secondly, the outstanding ability of this subject is the very interaction (感應) with other things in the world. The interaction also includes practical activities such as the feeling of the damage of other things, the cure for it, and the concern and growing of them. Thirdly, although the interaction between me and other things in the nature is only one fact, it can be seen from two different aspects: if it is considered from me, it will be called ‘clarifying the brilliant virtue (明明德)’, ‘self-growth (成己)’, ‘loyalty (忠)’ etc; if it is considered from other things, it will be called ‘being close to people (親民)’, ‘growing things (成物)’, ‘mercy (恕)’ etc. Fourthly, the realization of my innate nature is regarded as the realization of the nature of other things in the worlds, and the transformation and nourishment (化育) of all things. The ecological significance of Jeong Je Du’s theory of cultivation can be seen as follows. Firstly, although the Western environmental ethics emphasizes on the change of recognition, it is not easy to find the arguments on theory of cultivation in those ethical theories; whereas Jeong Je Du particularly stresses on the real cultivation process. Obviously, the change of recognition according to which the nature is not the instrument or tool for the satisfaction of human desires but an important existence and the companion of human must precede. Based on this change of recognition, we must do our best to restore and expand the ecological sensitivity in diminishing human desires and live together with the nature as the whole body. Then human can create an opportunity to really live in harmony with the nature. Secondly, while Murray Bookchin - the social ecologist - respects only the rationality and considers all others such as divine character, sensibility, emotion etc as inferior, thus causes many problems in unequal viewpoints, Jeong Je Du does not regard human inner characters such as rationality, divine character, sensibility or emotion etc, as problems of discrimination or opposite relation that must be resolved. All of those characters play their roles in the interaction between human and other things in the world and thus cannot be ignored or rejected. The important thing is that, in the process of interaction with things in the world, through the cultivation, those characters can overcome the excess and deficiency and maintain the balanced state. This emphasis on the balance and harmony between various characters can prevent in advance the possibility of any other unequal treatment which, like in Bookchin, is based on the absolutism of rationality.
In Jeong Je Du’s view, first of all the Heaven and human have the same source (一元), and all things in the world and human are one and only body (一體). Furthermore, as the holiness (靈) of the world, human can communicate with others in the world through his mind (人心) and thus can participate as the subject in the improvement of the world. However in reality, despite this numinous and bright mind, if human does not make any endeavor, he will not be able to live together with other things in the world as a whole body. In this paper, the author would like to search for the important reasons for the cultivation (修養) aiming at the harmonious co-existence between human and things in the nature, the detailed methods for cultivating, and from those tries to find the ecological significance contained in Jeong Je Du’s theory of cultivation. Human has got not only the numinous and bright mind (人心), but also the propensity for the emergence of individual desires (私欲). The individual desires make human forget his own universal dimension, divide the Heaven and the human into two separate parts and abandon them, and regard only his physical body as his ‘ego’ himself and thus seek only the convenience to it, ignoring the innate character of ‘sharing the same source with the Heaven (天人一元)’. Those individual desires cause much excess and deficiency in human nature and feeling, to such an extent that it obstructs the communication and interaction between human and other things in the nature, and finally cause many problems when leading human to damage and destroy the nature only for the sake of human desires. Hence there is the necessity of the a posteriori ‘cultivation (修養)’ for human to eliminate his desires and harmoniously communicate with other things in the nature. In order for human to live in harmony with other things in the world, there are some detailed methods of cultivation such as ‘expanding the four sprouts (四端)’, ‘manifesting the illustrious virtue (明明德) and being close to the people (親民) as an undertaking (一事)’, ‘participating in the transformation and nourishment of the world (天地化育) by performing all innate nature (盡性)’ etc. They all share some similar features as follows. Firstly, though they are called by many names such as ‘innate nature (本性)’, ‘brilliant virtue (明德)’, ‘four sprouts (四端)’, ‘good knowledge (良知)’, ‘rites and righteousness (禮義)’, etc, these names all refer to ‘the subject sympathizing with sufferings (痛覺)’ - means human feels painful in front of other things’ damage of life. Secondly, the outstanding ability of this subject is the very interaction (感應) with other things in the world. The interaction also includes practical activities such as the feeling of the damage of other things, the cure for it, and the concern and growing of them. Thirdly, although the interaction between me and other things in the nature is only one fact, it can be seen from two different aspects: if it is considered from me, it will be called ‘clarifying the brilliant virtue (明明德)’, ‘self-growth (成己)’, ‘loyalty (忠)’ etc; if it is considered from other things, it will be called ‘being close to people (親民)’, ‘growing things (成物)’, ‘mercy (恕)’ etc. Fourthly, the realization of my innate nature is regarded as the realization of the nature of other things in the worlds, and the transformation and nourishment (化育) of all things. The ecological significance of Jeong Je Du’s theory of cultivation can be seen as follows. Firstly, although the Western environmental ethics emphasizes on the change of recognition, it is not easy to find the arguments on theory of cultivation in those ethical theories; whereas Jeong Je Du particularly stresses on the real cultivation process. Obviously, the change of recognition according to which the nature is not the instrument or tool for the satisfaction of human desires but an important existence and the companion of human must precede. Based on this change of recognition, we must do our best to restore and expand the ecological sensitivity in diminishing human desires and live together with the nature as the whole body. Then human can create an opportunity to really live in harmony with the nature. Secondly, while Murray Bookchin - the social ecologist - respects only the rationality and considers all others such as divine character, sensibility, emotion etc as inferior, thus causes many problems in unequal viewpoints, Jeong Je Du does not regard human inner characters such as rationality, divine character, sensibility or emotion etc, as problems of discrimination or opposite relation that must be resolved. All of those characters play their roles in the interaction between human and other things in the world and thus cannot be ignored or rejected. The important thing is that, in the process of interaction with things in the world, through the cultivation, those characters can overcome the excess and deficiency and maintain the balanced state. This emphasis on the balance and harmony between various characters can prevent in advance the possibility of any other unequal treatment which, like in Bookchin, is based on the absolutism of rationality.
