본고는 조선초기의 학자이자 관료였던 박흥생의 목민론에 대한 연구이다. 그의 『居官箴戒』는 중국의 관잠류 서적을 초록하여 편집했던 15세기 목민서로서는 현존하는 유일의 자료이다. 박흥생은 15세기의 학자답게 성리학은 물론 널리 실용의 학풍을 수용했다. 그의 또 다른 저술 『居官箴戒』 ―박흥생이 목민관에게 중요하다고 강조한― 에는 음양 술수로부터 의학에 이르는 다양한 생활 지식이 망라되어 있다. 물론 박흥생은 성리학의 충실한 훈도였다. 지방 향교의 교수를 시작으로 전라도 창평현령을 역임한 그는 성리학의 牧民論을 견지했다. 목민관은 우선 修身을 통해 자신의 몸을 단속하고, 서리들에게는 위엄을 그리고 백성들에게는 인정을 베풀어야 한다. 박흥생은 법의 엄격한 준수와 집행을 강조하면서도 융통성 있는 時中을 강조했다. 엄격한 법집행과 그 효과를 기대했던 조선초기의 법 관행에 비추어 볼 때, 박흥생은 법에 앞서 인간의 도덕 본성에 기초한 교화를 강조했다. 다시 말해 본성의 선의[性善]에 기초한 자율적 도덕 공동체의 수립이라는 성리학의 정치이념에 충실했다. 15세기 초반 이미 박흥생의 목민론은 성리학의 이해가 깊이를 더해갔던 16세기 이후의 목민론을 예견하고 있었다.

Examined in this article is the idea of “treating and caring for the public(‘Mokmin, 牧民’)” shown by a person named Park Heung-saeng, who was a governmental official and academician in the early days of Joseon. His Geo’gwan Jam’gye(居官箴戒) is the only remaining example of the 15th century ‘Mokmin’ texts, which is believed to have been usually an abstract of Chinese “Gwanjam”-type writings. As a 15th century academic figure, Park Heung-saeng was not only well versed in Neo-Confucianism, but widely acceptive to practical academic approaches. His another writing Chwal’yo Shinseo, which he argued as an important text to be read by local officials, included a wide range of practical knowledge ranging from Yin and Yang theories to medicinal expertise. As a loyal Neo-Confucian scholar, he began his career as a professor at a local Hyang’gyo school, and later became the prefect of the Jeolla-do province’s Chang’pyeong-hyeon area, where he continued to maintain his own notion of Neo-Confucian care for the people(牧民論). According to him, local officials dealing with the people should first develop their own character and put their own body under check, while remaining authoritative to junior officials as well as appearing benevolent to the public. Although Park Heung-saeng emphasized the importance of strict adherence to the law and instructed others to be faithful to law enforcement, he also recommended balanced restraints as well as recognition of the situation at hand. Compared to the more conventional legal practices and not to mention the atmosphere of the time, which supported relentless law enforcement and expected results from such efforts, Park Heung-saeng tended to emphasize humans’ moral nature. He suggested that efforts to enlighten people should be launched first, before resorting to the rulings of law. In other words, he was a person who was more loyal to the Neo-Confucian ideology which aimed to construct an autonomous moral community based upon humans’ good will. His instructions for the local officials in the early 15th century laid out the foundation for the next generation’s new arguments in the same vein, which displayed even more Neo-Confucian ideological tendencies, in the 16th century.