이 책은 『논어』 20편에서 필자가 선정하는 주제를 중심으로 101개의 명구를 추려서 문법적, 논리적으로 해석한다. 이러한 해석은 생성문법적 관점을 바탕으로 한다. 따라서 본서는 논어 자구의 이해를 위한 실사의 훈석(訓釋)이나 허사(虛辭)의 개별적 기능설명에 중점을 두지 않는다.

실사의 훈석이나 개별 허사의 용법 분석은 수많은 개별 문장과 그에 대한 적용을 대상으로 한다. 이것을 분석하고 또 귀납해내는 일은 마치 끝이 없는 수행(修行) 같다. 그래서는 사전 찾기를 통해 모든 단어의 뜻을 다 안다 해도 논어 한 줄이 해석되지 않아 애태우는 경우가 다반사이다. 우리는 여기서 탈피하고 싶다. 좋은 스승이 가르치는 대로 그저 외우는 것이 아니라, 진실로 자신의 힘으로 해석하는 힘을 가져보길 희망한다. 이런 희망으로 ‘논어해석’의 공식(fomula)이나 명제 같은 것을 추구하게 되었고, 그 결과가 이 책자이다.

본서를 세상에 내면서 먼저 분명히 해야 할 점이 있다. 그것은 이 책과 필자(2013)의 『공자, 멋진 사람을 말하다』와의 관계이다. 본서는 상기 책의 분류와 해석을 기본적으로 따른다. 그러나 저술의 목적과 방법은 매우 다르다. 위의 책이 논어 명구의 교훈에 대한 에세이 형식의 것이었다면, 본서는 필자의 전공 지식을 이용하여 문법적으로 해석한다는 점이다. 따라서 본서 ‘명구 용례’의 편장 분류는 상기의 책과 유사하지만 그 기술방법과 목적은 전혀 다르다.

다시 본서의 목적과 용도를 말하자면, 이 책이 논어 원전의 한 줄이라도 오롯이 자신의 힘으로 해석하고자 하는 사람들에게 하나의 과학적 접근법을 제공하기를 희망한다. 또, 논어를 비롯한 고문해석에 있어 공식을 찾고자 하는 이런 생각이 독자들에게 하나의 도전이 되길 기대한다. 이는 이 책에 많은 오류와 견해 차이가 있을 것임에도 불구하고, 또 이미 수백 종이 넘는 『논어』 관련 번역서와 책자들이 출판되었음에도 불구하고, 용기를 내어 세상에 펴내는 이유이다. 끝으로, 필자는 본서에서 발생한 오류와 한계에 대해 스스로 솔직할 것이며, 생각이 다른 사람들과 즐거이 이야기하고 싶다.

2017. 04. 25
서울 이문동에서
김종호 삼가 적음  

프롤로그_ 5

I. 해석 공식 찾기 절차 · ······················································ 9

1. 우리의 관점 ·································································· 11

2. 구절 다시 쓰기 ······························································· 13

3. 주술구의 병합과 사건의미의 추출 ··········································· 14

4. 부가성분의 병합 ····························································· 18

5. 사건의미와 논리관계 ························································ 18

6. 명구 전문 해석과 논지 파악 ·················································· 22

II. 명구 용례 ····································································· 25

1. 멋진 사람들 ································································ 27

1. 군자(君子) ··································································· 27

2. 덕자(德者) ··································································· 51

3. 인자(仁者) ··································································· 67

4. 지자(智者) ··································································· 85

5. 효자(孝子) ·································································· 102

2. 멋진 스승과 제자 ························································ 123

1. 제자의 자세 ································································· 125

2. 스승의 자세 ································································· 163

3. 멋진 리더 ·································································· 205

1. 리더십의 뿌리 ······························································· 207

2. 리더의 자세 ································································· 243

4. 사랑과 우정 ······························································· 289

1. 사랑 ········································································· 291

2. 우정 ········································································· 312

5. 일상의 즐거움과 부귀빈천 ··········································· 341

1. 음식과 의복 ································································· 343

2. 안빈낙도 ···································································· 373

3. 시를 읽다 ··································································· 392

4. 부자와 빈자 ································································· 410

6. 자기수양과 언행 ························································· 431

1. 수양과 절제 ································································· 433

2. 언행과 태도 ································································· 455

7. 멋진 인생을 위하여 ····················································· 499

III. 해석 공식 요약 ·························································· 533

1. 구절 다시 쓰기 ······························································ 535

2. 주술구의 병합과 사건의미 추출하기 ········································ 536

3. 사건의미 간의 논리관계 설정하기 ·········································· 537

에필로그_ 539

『논어』 해제와 공자의 생애_ 541

참고문헌_ 545

색인_ 549

‘논어 해석의 공식을 찾아라.’ 그러나 수많은 어휘들이 생략과 도치를 반복하며 난수표처럼 뿌려진 논어 구절에 무슨 ‘공식(formula)’이 있을까? 우리는 그럼에도 불구하고 뜻이 전달되는 자연언어의 한 문장은 ‘완전하다’고 확신하며, 이에 근거하여 ‘논어 해석에 공식이 있다고 본다. 언어(말)는 인간만이 가지는 생물학적 도구로서 자신의 사유나 감각을 타인에게 전달하는 기능이 있는데, 타인에게 자신의 의도를 전달할 때 완전한 의미가 아니면 전달의 의미가 없기 때문이다. 논어가 탄생한 2500여 년 이래로 논어에 담긴 뜻이 동양사상의 중요한 골간이 되었음은 그 뜻의 전달에 문제가 없었기 때문일 것이다.

이 책은 『논어』 20편에서 필자가 선정하는 주제를 중심으로 101개의 명구를 추려서 문법적, 논리적으로 해석하였다. 이러한 해석은 생성문법적 관점을 바탕으로 한다. 따라서 이 책은 논어 자구의 이해를 위한 실사의 훈석(訓釋)이나 허사(虛辭)의 개별적 기능설명에 중점을 두지 않는다. 『논어』 원전의 한 줄이라도 오롯이 자신의 힘으로 해석하고자 하는 사람들에게 일종의 ‘공식’을 통해 과학적 접근법을 제공한다.