조선 후기 실학사상을 집대성한 정약용의 문집이다. 정약용은 사회개혁, 특히 가난으로 고통받는 백성들을 구제하는 일에 관심을 기울였다. 1798년(정조 22) 「전론田論」을 집필하여 토지를 공동 소유, 공동 경작하고, 생산물을 공동 분배하여 농민의 경제적 평등을 지향한 ‘여전론閭田論’을 주장했다. 그의 토지개혁론은 1871년(순조 17) 농민들에게 토지를 나누어 주되 일정한 규모의 공전을 공동 경작하여 조세를 충당하는 ‘정전론井田論’으로 한 단계 발전했다.

This is a collection of works by Jeong Yak-yong, who summarized the philosophy of Practical Learning in the late Joseon. Rather than merely focusing on poverty alleviation, Jeong Yak-yong sought to reorganize Joseon society through various state reforms, including land system reforms. In 1798 (the 22nd year of King Jeongjo’s reign), he wrote “Discourse on Land,” advocating for the economic equality of peasants through joint ownership and cultivation of land, along with the equitable distribution of the produce. His vision of land reform, conceptualized further in 1871 (the 17th year of King Sunjo’s reign), involved the well-field system (jeongjeon-ron), a theoretical system in which land was envisioned to be distributed to peasants with a portion of communal land jointly cultivated to meet tax obligations.