『尙書』는 儒經이자 史書이므로, 본고는 刑政 대목에서 德治를 추구하는 儒經으로서의 『상서』와 현실성을 담보하는 史冊으로서의 『상서』의 실체를 포착해보고자 하였다. 『상서』의 刑政은 이미 堯舜시대에도 존재했는데, 그 刑政의 근본이념은 無刑이나, 三代로 내려갈수록 無刑의 이념은 퇴색하고, 刑政은 점차 상시적이고 법제화된 정책으로 고착되어 治道의 중요한 한 축으로 자리잡았다. 堯舜三代는 모두 無刑을 지향하되, 唐虞刑政의 실제 핵심은 ‘寬’이며, 西周 刑政의 실제 핵심은 愼罰에 근거한 ‘공정성’이었다. 그런데 西周는 형벌의 공정성을 내세우면서도 5대 穆王에 이르면 五刑의 贖환 금액까지 상정하게 된다. 조선 경학가들 다수는 蔡沈의 견해에 따라 「周書」 < 呂刑 >에 수록된 五刑의 贖刑을 목왕이 궁핍한 재정을 보충하기 위해 民財를 취한 것으로 古法이 아니라고 비판했지만, 星湖와 茶山 등은 그것을 < 舜典 >에 나오는 官刑ㆍ敎刑의 속형과 같은 맥락에서 긍정적으로 생각하였다. 또 채침은 오형의 속형을 비판했기에 < 여형 > 1장의 ‘모荒’을 史官의 貶辭라고 단정했지만, 오형의 속환을 비판하는 조선 경학가들 조차도 ‘모荒’에 있어서만큼은 蔡說에 동조하지 않고 < 여형 >의 經文으로서의 가치를 존숭하였다.

The purpose of this study was to investigate Shangshu, a Confucian scripture on one hand that emphasizes ruling by virtue in punishment policy and a historical book on the other hand that evidences the realities. According to the ancient publishment, punishment-free society had been the orientation of punishment policy since the Yao-Shun period. But it was devaluated over the next three periods, and that policy was gradually converted into criminal laws that were fixed and permanent. With that orientation, originally, the very key of punishment policy was ``generosity`` in the Yao-Shun period and ``justice``, which was under the principle of careful punishment, in the Zhou period Though Zhou put its first priority on justice in punishment, however, King Mok of the country even set amount payable for exemption from all of the five kinds of punishment. Agreeing with Cai-shen, most scholars of Joseon criticized that granting exemption from all of the five kinds of punishment, which are listed in < Marquis of Lu on Punishments >, in return for money was a way that King Mok took over wealth from people for the purpose of increasing national finance. But Seongho and Dasan took that granting positive because it complied with ancient laws found in < Canon of Shun >. Since he criticized granting exemption for money, Cai-shen just insisted that the words ``MohWang`` found in the first chapter of < Marquis of Lu on Punishments > had been put in by an official historiographer to undervalue that king. But even scholars of Joseon who blamed that granting didn``t agree on Cai-shen``s judgement about those words.