주역에서는 백성의 개념을 “日用人”과 “不知人”으로 규정하고 있다.
日用人이란 “하루하루 먹고 살아가는 삶의 주체”라는 의미이고 “不知人”이란 “살아가면서도 그 삶의 이치나 원리는 모르는 존재”라는 의미이다.
이러한 주역의 규정에 대해 현대의 일부 사회학자들은 백성의 존재를 無知한 존재로 규정한 공자의 관점은 衆愚정치의 바탕이며 현대사회가 수용하고 있는 민주정치 제도의 가치와 이념에서 볼 때는 타파해야 할 봉건잔재라고 비판하기도 한다.
본래 유학에서는 인간을 귀하고 성스럽게 이해하고 그 존엄성을 전제하고 있는 바, 백성을 이해하는 규정이나 의미도 이러한 범주에서 벗어나지는 않을 것이다.
이에 본 논문에서는 주역에서 말한 “百姓 日用而不知”의 참다운 뜻과 그 철학적 의미를 심도 있게 검토해 보려는 것이다.
유학에서는 백성의 본질을 하늘의 所産者로 설명하고 있는데, 이는 유학에서 절대적인 권위를 갖는 하늘(天道)이 낳아준 직접적인 사랑과 의지의 대상이 바로 백성이라는 것이다.
한편 백성을 다스리는 실천의 주체인 군왕은 백성의 일용적 삶의 가치와 의미와 존엄성을 바르게 깨닫고 있어야 하는 “앎의 주체”인 것이다.
필자는 백성의 본질을 “日用性”으로 이해하고, 또한 군왕의 본질을 “知用性”으로 이해하여, 군자를 배움과 실천의 주체로 규정하였다.
현대사회에서 민주주의 제도와 가치를 신봉하는 사람들이 일반 시민에게 삶의 전모를 의탁하고 책임지라고 요청하는 것은 결코 바람직한 해결책은 아니다.
동양의 왕도정치는 백성과 군왕 사이에서 일어나는 모든 사안에 대하여 전적으로 군왕이 주체적으로 책임을 자청하고 있으며, 이는 부모가 자식을 사랑하듯 백성을 대하는 군왕의 덕치주의에서 가능해 진다.
덕치주의는 백성이 어떠한 조건과 처지에 있다 해도 군자는 언제나 한결같은 마음과 자세로 백성을 용납하는 정치형태로서, 법치주의의 타율성을 극복할 수 있는 하나의 자율적 삶의 구조로 기능할 수 있기를 기대해 본다.
Choui provide the concept of the people is daily use people and ignore people. The daily use people means the subjects of life that live on day by day, the ignore people means the being that can not know the reason or principal of life even though they are living. Some socialists in present criticize about these provision of Choui, saying that point of view of Confucius ,providing the existence of people ignore being, is the base of mobocracy and feudal vestige to break down in values and ideology of democratic system accepted by modern society. Besides, the real meaning of existence is in "the daily aspect of life living on day by day" and nothing is more lofty and divine than that existent situation of people. Furthermore, the monarch is subject of knowledge that should understand the value and meaning and dignity of daily life of people. The people is originally no concern about the reason of knowledge and has no wish to know about it. Like above, when the monarch accepts and understands the fact that the people is originally "ignore people", the subjective role of monarch governing the people can be possible. If the monarch misunderstands that just teaching and guiding the people are all the social roles required of leader while expecting them to realize a principal and to actualize, when the will of general people is not develop not as the leader expected, he happened to blame or to neglect the people. On the other hand, no matter how the people set any examples in any condition and situation, the leader is willing to permit, to accept and to love the people with consistent mind and attitude in the righteous government in Confucianism. This attitude of the true gentleman is not different from the attitude of parents regarding their children, as autonomic organization of life, henceforth the righteous government is expected to fulfil in positive way in modern society supporting on heteronomy of constitutionalism.
Choui provide the concept of the people is daily use people and ignore people. The daily use people means the subjects of life that live on day by day, the ignore people means the being that can not know the reason or principal of life even though they are living. Some socialists in present criticize about these provision of Choui, saying that point of view of Confucius ,providing the existence of people ignore being, is the base of mobocracy and feudal vestige to break down in values and ideology of democratic system accepted by modern society. Besides, the real meaning of existence is in "the daily aspect of life living on day by day" and nothing is more lofty and divine than that existent situation of people. Furthermore, the monarch is subject of knowledge that should understand the value and meaning and dignity of daily life of people. The people is originally no concern about the reason of knowledge and has no wish to know about it. Like above, when the monarch accepts and understands the fact that the people is originally "ignore people", the subjective role of monarch governing the people can be possible. If the monarch misunderstands that just teaching and guiding the people are all the social roles required of leader while expecting them to realize a principal and to actualize, when the will of general people is not develop not as the leader expected, he happened to blame or to neglect the people. On the other hand, no matter how the people set any examples in any condition and situation, the leader is willing to permit, to accept and to love the people with consistent mind and attitude in the righteous government in Confucianism. This attitude of the true gentleman is not different from the attitude of parents regarding their children, as autonomic organization of life, henceforth the righteous government is expected to fulfil in positive way in modern society supporting on heteronomy of constitutionalism.