조선의 과제(課製)는 성균관 유생이나 홍문관 등의 문신들이 경전을 중심으로 자신의 견해를 피력하고 전고(典故)의 탐독을 통해 현실을 바로 인식하고 비판할 수 있는 힘을 기르는 과정으로 제술(製述)을 통해 경전을 학습하고 환로(宦路)의 신진 관료들을 독려하는 방편이었다. 과거에 급제한 초기 유생과 신진문관들을 중심으로 실시했기 때문에 유학 경전을 심화학습하고 그것을 현실에서 어떻게 수용할 것인지 검토하는 시험의 장으로 삼았다. 이러한 이유로 일정기간 동안 과제를 짓지 않는 문신은 파직을 당하기도 하였다. 17세기 조선의 과제 주제는 성리학적 주자학의 팽배로 인하여 노장(老莊)과 관련된 글제는 배격되었다. 과제의 주제와 제재는 사서삼경의 경구(經句)는 물론이거니와 『춘추』 『전국책』 『좌전』 『사기』 등에 등재된 사건과 인물이 두루 채택되었다. 유교 국가였던 조선에서 역사의 인물을 더듬어 현재의 위정자들을 경계하고 유학을 실제 실행할 수 있는 학문으로 조형해가는 과정이 과작(課作)을 통해서 드러났다. 이러한 작업들은 조선 지식인들의 패러다임을 변화시키고 현실을 인식하는 계기가 되기도 하였다. 본 연구를 통해 17세기 실학자 박세당의 과제시문 30수에 제시된 과제의 전고를 그가 어떠한 의도로 수용하였고, 그가 표출하고자 했던 의미가 무엇인지 탐색하였다. 아울러 일방적이고 관념적 학문을 주도했던 정치적 분위기에서 벗어나려는 실천적 유자의 움직임도 포착할 수 있었다.

In Korean history, Gwaje, the state examination of Joseon dynasty, was originally implemented with a view to encouraging Confucian scholars and students of Seonggyun-gwan(a government office of Confucian education in Joseon dynasty) or civil ministers of Hongmun-gwan(a government office of royal library and advisory affairs) and similar offices to express their own views primarily regarding Confucian scriptures and build a capacity to correctly recognize and criticize realities by poring over authentic precedents in classic literatures, so they could get lessons from Confucian scriptures through poems and writings, while rising government officials with better quality could be motivated to start official career. Those days, governmental authorities awarded prizes to successful candidates for their excellent achievements of examination, but gwaje didn`t aim only for awarding prizes in reality: It was originally opened to rising civil officials as well as early Confucian scholars and students who ever succeeded in state examination, so they considered it as a testing ground to further study Confucian scriptures and examine how to accept those scriptures in reality. That is why civil officials who failed to prepare any poem or writing in gwaje for a certain period were removed from office. In case of Joseon`s gwaje in the 17th century, article themes relevant to Lao-tzu and Chuangtzu(老莊) were rejected under the overflowing influence of Neo-Confucian theories advocated by Chu Hsi. In terms of themes and materials, gwaje adopted a wide variety of Confucian classics including historic events and figures recorded in “Chunchu (the chronicles of Lu)”, “Jeon-gukchaek(the chronicles of civil war age in ancient China)”, “Jwajeon” and “Sagi(Shih chi; the first chronicles of ancient China)” as well as aphorisms of Saseosamgyeong(the Seven Chinese Classics). Interestingly, Gwaje examinees` poems and writings revealed how Confucianism could give warnings and lessons to incumbent statesmen in Joseon, a Confucian country by tracing back in ancient Chinese historic figures, and could be further formed as a practical science. This fact is in the same context with efforts of Joseon`s Confucian scholars who busied themselves in securing academic autonomy and diversity around the 17th century. These works of state examination, though not originally intended to, gave good chances to make a paradigm shift among intellectual people of Joseon and positively recognize social and international realities. Starting from the above recognition, this study explored what the intention of Park Se-dang, a scholar of positive school in the 17th century, was to accept authentic precedents presented for 30 pieces of gwaje writings, and which meanings Park could desire to express in his writings. Furthermore, this study could spot any motivation of Park, a practical Confucian to go beyond his contemporary political atmosphere that dominated unilateral and ideological sciences.