상법(相法)의 경험적 진화-최한기의 측인(測人)

The main purpose of this paper is to show that Choi Han‒ki’s method of Human Assessment(測人) was the experiential evolution of physiognomy that overcame the problems with the deterministic view of the traditional physiognomy. Choi understood that “figuring people out” was a deterministic opportunity to distinguish between success and failure of human life. Even though he actively embraced the classical physiognomy as one way of human assessment, he believed that it had decisive limitations in that ① it regards human beings that are the ground of human assessment as individual beings, ② does not consider Haengsa(行事) that can make people different from their innate biological appearances, and ③ overlooks the unpredictable nature of human mind. In an effort to overcome those limitations, Chi Hanki’s Human Assessment included three major changes: ① Human beings are not individual beings that are separated from one another but “beings within the world” or “beings within the relationships” that need to deal with things properly according to the changes of the world; ② “Haengsasang”(行事相) should be introduced as an important element for a cross check with physiognomic judgments; and ③ People may show unpredictable psychological twists, which should be considered in human assessment. With those points Choi Hanki seems to have made certain progress beyond the limitations of the classical method of physiognomy, which makes deterministic judgments on noble and mean, good and bad luck only based on the surface features which comprise human body and physical conditions. Choi Hanki’s Human Assessment can make one of the crucial contributions to reading people as long as it does not confine its application to the social and political areas. Furthermore, it will provide some realistic insights to our specific realistic issue, “How can we interact with others?”