동학은 기본적인 교리로서 인간의 본질적 평등을 주장하였고, 이를 구체화하여 조선의 신분제도와 적서차별, 어린이와 부인에 대한 차별을 부정하는 가르침을 교인들에게 제시하였다. 무엇보다 당시의 신분제 질서가 그대로 유지되지 않으며 미래에는 극복될 수 있음을 주장하여 민중들에게 희망을 제시하였다. 이를 통해 동학은 신분에 상관없이 동학교인이라는 지위만으로 차별없이 교류와 사귐을 실천하고 서로 도우며 존중하는 종교공동체를 구성하였다. 이러한 상황에서 정부의 탄압 문제를 해결하기 위하여 이루어진 교조신원운동을 통해 탐관오리의 불법적인 공권력작용에 맞선 사회운동으로 나아갈 수 있었고 교인이 아님에도 불구하고 동학교도로 몰려 수탈의 대상이 된 사람들까지 이에 호응함으로써 민중들은 동학을 중심으로 광범위하게 결집하였고, 이는 잠재되어 있던 서양과 일본 등 외세에 대한 대항의식과 결합하여 이후 동학농민혁명으로 이어지는 토대가 되었다. 동학농민혁명에 의하여 이루어진 집강소 통치는 이러한 동학의 기본교리와 교조신원운동을 통하여 발전한 평등론을 실제 사회에 구현하기 위한 좋은 기회가 되었다. 갑오개혁으로 신분제가 공식적으로 폐지된 상황에서 동학농민혁명은 신분질서는 물론 기존의 권력집단에 의하여 유지되던 모든 질서가 한꺼번에 파괴되는 모습으로 나타났다. 특히 혁명의 경험은 관련자들에게 차별이 없는 사회가 어떤 모습인지 실제 경험할 수 있는 기회를 제공하였던 점에서 큰 의미를 가졌다. 이때 해결되지 못한 평등의 요구들은 잠재되어 이후에도 중요한 평등실현을 위한 과제들로 다시 등장할 것이다.
Donghak had the essential equality of human beings as a basic doctrine, and by embodying this, it presented teaching that denies the system of discrimination based on legitimacy, age and sex. Above all, it offered hope to the people by arguing that the class system at that time was not maintained and that it could be overcome in the future. Donghak formed a religious community that practices exchanges and friendships without discrimination. Through the movement to vindicate the founder’s innocence, and to solve the problem of oppression of the government, it was able to move forward as a social movement against the illegal action of public power. People was extensively gathered around Donghak and it became the foundation that led to the Donghak Peasant Revolution, combined with the latent consciousness against foreign powers, such as the West and Japan. The rule of people achieved by the Donghak Peasant Revolution was a good opportunity to realize the basic doctrine of Donghak and the theory of equality in actual society. The experience of the revolution had great significance in that it provided the relevant people with an opportunity to experience what a society without discrimination based on status would look like.
Donghak had the essential equality of human beings as a basic doctrine, and by embodying this, it presented teaching that denies the system of discrimination based on legitimacy, age and sex. Above all, it offered hope to the people by arguing that the class system at that time was not maintained and that it could be overcome in the future. Donghak formed a religious community that practices exchanges and friendships without discrimination. Through the movement to vindicate the founder’s innocence, and to solve the problem of oppression of the government, it was able to move forward as a social movement against the illegal action of public power. People was extensively gathered around Donghak and it became the foundation that led to the Donghak Peasant Revolution, combined with the latent consciousness against foreign powers, such as the West and Japan. The rule of people achieved by the Donghak Peasant Revolution was a good opportunity to realize the basic doctrine of Donghak and the theory of equality in actual society. The experience of the revolution had great significance in that it provided the relevant people with an opportunity to experience what a society without discrimination based on status would look like.
