조선 선조대 유학자이자 유일처사(遺逸處士)인 토정(土亭) 이지함(李之函)은 북학론의 원조라 평가될만큼 스스로 상인이 되어 유통경제에 참여했던 경험을 바탕으로 이른바 말업인 어업과 염업, 광업 등을 통해 민생 안정과 국부 증진을 꾀할 것을 주장하였다. 이 논문에서는 우리나라 유통경제사상의 시조라 할 수 있는 토정 이지함의 삶과, 유통경제사상, 그리고 그의 유통경제사상이 당대 및 후대의 학자들에게 미친 영향을 정리해 보았다.
이지함은 당대를 위기의 시대로 인식하고, 그 타개책으로서 백가지 재용(財用)의 보고인 물과 바다를 활용하여 고기를 잡고, 소금을 굽고, 나무를 심고, 옥을 채굴할 것을 주장했다. 이러한 그의 주장은 사농공상의 엄격한 신분제적 계서제와 농업 중심인 조선 시대에 독특함을 넘는 파격적인 것이었다. 그의 주장이 특히 의미가 있었던 것은 공허한 구호에 그친 것이 아니라 그것을 몸소 실천했다는 점이다. 농업이 아닌 어업과 염업, 수운업, 광업 등을 통해 민생 안정과 국부 증진을 꾀했다는 점에서 그의 주장은 당대의 이산해와 김신국은 물론 후대 북학론자들에게 영향을 미쳤다.
TOJUNG is a literary name of LEE Ji-ham who lived from 1517 to 1578 in Chosun Dynasty. He was falsely known as the author of Tojung Bigyeol, but he was a very unique Confucius scholar who engaged in business such as fishing, saltpan, and water transportation as a Yangban(gentleman). In his days, it was very rare for a Yangban to work on commerce except learning Confucius Philosophy. After death of his parent and collapse of his wife's family, he had to employ himself on business such as fishing and saltpan for keeping up his own family and his wife's family. By having experienced these he could take a shape of his ideas on giving an importance on fishing and saltpan, mining, water transportation. At that times the agriculture was considered as the most important industry in Chosun Dynasty. LEE Ji-ham considered his age as the crisis and presented the strategy for overcoming the crisis. He asserted that even the Yangban had to engage in business and government had to inspire the people for making their own living by doing fishing, saltpan, manufacturing and water transportation. His ideas was formed not just by idealism but by combination of his own experience and thoughts. His ideas might give an effect to those of scholars such as KIM Shin-kuk, LEE San-hae, YOU Su-won, and PAK Je-gha and etc. In this context we can say that LEE Ji-ham was the origin of Bukhakron which placed emphasis on distribution, manufacturing and commerce as a kind of pragmatical Confucius Philosophy.
TOJUNG is a literary name of LEE Ji-ham who lived from 1517 to 1578 in Chosun Dynasty. He was falsely known as the author of Tojung Bigyeol, but he was a very unique Confucius scholar who engaged in business such as fishing, saltpan, and water transportation as a Yangban(gentleman). In his days, it was very rare for a Yangban to work on commerce except learning Confucius Philosophy. After death of his parent and collapse of his wife's family, he had to employ himself on business such as fishing and saltpan for keeping up his own family and his wife's family. By having experienced these he could take a shape of his ideas on giving an importance on fishing and saltpan, mining, water transportation. At that times the agriculture was considered as the most important industry in Chosun Dynasty. LEE Ji-ham considered his age as the crisis and presented the strategy for overcoming the crisis. He asserted that even the Yangban had to engage in business and government had to inspire the people for making their own living by doing fishing, saltpan, manufacturing and water transportation. His ideas was formed not just by idealism but by combination of his own experience and thoughts. His ideas might give an effect to those of scholars such as KIM Shin-kuk, LEE San-hae, YOU Su-won, and PAK Je-gha and etc. In this context we can say that LEE Ji-ham was the origin of Bukhakron which placed emphasis on distribution, manufacturing and commerce as a kind of pragmatical Confucius Philosophy.
