강우지역 학술의 전개와 전망-江右學 정립을 위한 試論的 고찰

초록

This study is a preliminary exploration aimed at establishing a systematic framework for research on Nammyeong Studies(南冥學) and the Nammyeong School(南冥學派), which flourished for several centuries from the sixteenth century onward in the region east of the Nakdong River—historically referred to as the Gang-u(江右) area when viewed from Hanyang(Seoul) during the Joseon dynasty. This region roughly corresponds to present-day Gyeongsangnam-do, the central locus where the learning of Nammyeong Jo Sik(1501–1572) originated and developed. Although the political upheavals of the Gyehae Coup(1623) and the Mushin Rebellion(1728) brought both prosperity and decline to the Nammyeong school, five decades of modern scholarship have since consolidated a robust academic foundation for its study. During the late Joseon and early modern transition, the Gang-u region witnessed an unprecedented configuration of intellectual activity. Not only did the Nammyeong lineage remain vibrant, but several other Confucian schools originating from across the country—such as those of Jeongjae, Seongjae, Hanju, Nosa, Yeonjae, Ganjae, and Hwaseo—entered the region, engaging in mutual teaching, debate, and scholarly exchange. These interactions produced a fusionist and transcendent mode of scholarship that transcended lineal and partisan boundaries. As a synthetic concept encompassing this intellectual landscape, the present author proposes the term “Gang-u Studies”(江右學) and identifies several preliminary issues to be addressed in establishing it as a coherent academic category. First, conceptual clarification is required concerning the scholarly networks (hakmaek), schools(hakpa), and associations(hakdan) that emerged during this period. The traditional notion of a “school” is insufficient to account for the diversity and heterogeneity of the era, necessitating a redefinition of these terms. Second, the spatial boundaries of “Gang-u” must be empirically reexamined. The Joseon-era division between Gangjwa(left of the river) and Gang-u(right of the river) does not correspond to present-day administrative districts, thus requiring a reterritorialization reflecting literary and scholarly influence. Third, the lineages and scales of the eight major scholarly traditions active in the region must be mapped, primarily through sayurok, muninrok, and collected works, tracing lines of transmission from first to fourth generations. Fourth, interregional and intracommunal exchanges—such as scholarly gatherings, travel records, publications, kinship ties, and teacher–disciple networks—should be analyzed to reconstruct the full spectrum of intellectual interaction linking Yeongnam, Honam, Gihu, and Gang-u. Fifth, a deep analysis of key scholarly debates is necessary, especially through nearly two hundred extant lecture records(ganghoerok), which reveal both transcendence and contention across school boundaries. Sixth, a more integrated understanding of the cultural, intellectual, political, and international dimensions of the Gang-u scholarly community must be achieved, incorporating everyday practices, poetry, diaries, and collective social engagements such as public appeals and reform movements. Research on the intellectual history of the Gang-u region during the transitional period has been steadily advanced by the Nammyeong Studies Institute at Gyeongsang National University, focusing on schools, figures, and lineages. This paper represents the initial step in consolidating those efforts under the unified disciplinary framework of “Gang-u Studies.”

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