이 글은 구한말 함안 지방의 학자 趙昺奎의 학문과 문학을 조명한 것이다. 조병규는 趙旅·趙參의 후예로서, 가학적 전통을 계승하고 성호학의 현실주의정신을 전해 받았다. 그는 존양성찰을 통한 심성수양을 학문의 기본으로 삼고, 스승許傳의 영향으로 禮學에 진력하였으며, 나라를 빼앗기고 유교의 도가 무너져가는 시대를 살면서 砥柱石처럼 굳건한 의지로 도를 부지하려 하였다. 조병규의 학문정신은 敬을 통해 誠을 구하는 것이 핵심이다. 그가 一本을 강조한 것은 萬殊로 나누어지는 마음을 하나로 모아야 한다는 절박한 시대정신에서 나온 것이다. 조병규의 학문성향은 도덕적 주체 확립과 현실의 실용성 추구로 나타난다. 전자는 마음이 발하기 전의 敬을 통한 存養을 중시하면서도 마음이 발한 뒤 愼獨을 통한 省察을 특별히 강조한 데 의미가 있다. 후자의 경우, 경제와 국방의 문제에 대해 구제책을 제시하고, 실용하기 쉽도록 『士禮要儀』를 만든 것을 보면, 학문의 실용성을 염두에 두고 있었음을 알 수 있다. 이런 점에서 그의 학문성향은 성리학의 도덕주의와 성호학의 현실주의정산을 겸하고 있다. 조병규는 375제 402수의 시를 남겼는데, 挽詩 및 교유시가 대부분을 차지하고 있다． 그의 시세계에 흐르는 작가의식은, 도가 무너져가는 시대에 도를 보위하기 위한 講學意志, 유교의 도를 지키기 위해 자신의 몸에 도를 체득하고자 하는 求道意識, 난세를 사는 隱逸의 情操로 明月과 寒泉을 心法과 節義로 상징화한 점, 망국의 세상을 살면서 성현의 도가 다시 밝아지기를 염원하고 제갈량 같은 인물을 그리워하며 節羲를 변치 않을 것을 다짐하는 점 등으로 나타난다.

This article offers a review of the study and literature of Jo Byeong-gyu, a Confucian scholar from Ham-an in late Joseon, and proves the following points: Jo, as a descendent of Jo Ryeo and Jo Sam, based his study on the establishment of a moral subject through mind and body cultivation by following the family tradition and inherited the spirit of Hyeonjujuui from Heo Jeon that succeeded the scholastic mantle of Seongho. He committed himself to the study of decorums under the influence of his mater Heo Jeon based on the foundation of mind and body cultivation through Jonyangseolchal. He was a man that tried to keep moral philosophy and study of decorums alive with an adamant will like a pillar stone, living in an era when his home country was usurped and the Confucian teachings were collapsing. His academic spirit was centered around pursuing Seong through Gyeong. He emphasized Japan because of the desperate spirit of the times that the nationt`s many different minds should be united in one direction. His academic tendencies were two-pronged; one was to establish a moral subject, and the other was to pursue realistic practicality. The former is significant in that it places importance on Jonyang through Gyeong before the manifestation of the mind and especially puts an emphasis on Seongchal through Shindolk after the manifestation of the mind. For the former, he wrote Saryeyoui so that it would be easy to consider and implement solutions to the problems with the nation`s economy and defense in reality, which proves that he did have the practicality of study in his mind. Judging from those aspects, his academic tendencies were based on a combination of moralism of Sung-Confucianism and realism of Seongho study. Jo left poems of 375 jes and 402 sus, most of which were about his mourning of the deceased and exchanges. His consciousness as a writer that penetrates his poetic world can be characterized as follows: first, he demonstrated his strong will to protect and preserve morality when it was falling down; secondly, he consciously sought after morality to learn it by physical experience and thus to preserve Confucian morality; thirdly, he symbolized the sun, the moon, and wells, which represented a reclusive sentiment in a world of turmoils, through Shimbeop and integrity; and finally, he was determined never to give up his integrity like Jeonhoing, wishing for the morality of sages to shine through the national decay again and missing such great figures and Zhu Ge Liang.