송풍재 송지식은 17세기 후반 경상우도 남명학파의 주요 인물 중 한 명이다. 그의 가계는 현재 합천 대병면 유전마을에 세거하는 은진송씨 가문으로, 송지식의 5대조 송세적 대에 충청도 회덕에서 합천으로 이거해왔다. 이 지역은 조선시대 때 삼가현에 속해있었으며 당시 남명 조식의 친·외가가 있던 곳이기도 했다. 이러한 인연으로 송지식의 고조부 송형은 남명과 교유, 이들 가문은 대대로 남명학파의 일원으로 활동하였다. 이후 송지식의 아버지 송정렴은 정온, 임진부, 허목의 문인으로서 중앙관료로 활동하는 한편 인조반정 이후 합천권 재지사족들을 이끌어 나갔다.
朝野를 오가며 왕성한 활동을 했던 아버지를 이어 송지식 역시 당대 향촌 내에서 학문적 명성이 높았다. 17세기 후반 경상우도의 많은 학자들이 영남학파를 대표하던 이현일의 제자가 되었듯 그 역시 안동 錦陽精舍에서 강론하던 갈암 이현일을 찾아뵙고 문인이 되었다. 당대 禮俗에 있어서 항상 上賓으로 초대되었으며 삼가현의 용암‧고암서원, 의령 덕곡서원, 안음 용문서원의 원장을 역임할 정도로 학문과 덕망을 두루 갖추었다. 그가 원장을 지낸 용암서원은 남명을 제향하는 곳이고, 고암서원은 남명학파의 일원인 노흠·이흘·임진부의 제향처였다. 또 덕곡서원은 퇴계 이황을, 용문서원은 임훈·임운·정온을 제향하는 곳이다. 이를 통해 그가 경상우도 내 남명·퇴계학파권 서원을 두루 대표하고 있었음을 알 수 있다.
이러한 학문 양상은 그의 교유에서도 확인할 수 있다. 송지식은 합천·진주·단성·의령·고령·현풍 등 경상우도 전역에 걸쳐 선대 남명학파 가문의 일원 및 갈암 문인들과 폭넓은 교유를 해왔다. 또 이현일의 동생 이숭일, 아들 이재 등과도 교분이 돈독하였으며 이현일이 갑술환국으로 유배되었을 때는 편지를 주고받으며 서로를 위로해주었다. 이 외 아버지 송정렴이 중앙 요직에 있는 동안 교유했던 권대운을 비롯하여 이현일과 함께 숙종 시기 남인의 영수로 활약했던 권해와도 인연을 이어나갔다. 이를 통해 17세기 중후반 영남학파권 인사들 및 중앙 남인과 폭넓은 교유를 해왔던 송지식의 인적 연계망을 확인할 수 있었다.
Songpungjae Song, Ji-sik was one of the leading figures of the Nammyeong School of Gyeongsangwudo in the late 17th century. He belonged to the clan Song of Eunjin, who currently reside in Yujeon Village, Daebyeong-myeon, Hapcheon, who had come to Hapcheon from Chungcheongnam-do, when Song, Ji-sik’s great-great- grandfather, Song, Se-jeok moved here. The area was part of Samga-hyeon during the Joseon Dynasty and was home to Nammyeong Jo, Sik's paternal and maternal families. Through this connection, Song, Ji-sik's great-great-grandfather, Song, Hyung, befriended Nammyeong, and his clan belonged to the Nammyeong School for generations. Since then, Song, Ji-sik's father, Song, Jeong-ryeom, accepted Nammyong and Toegye studies as a literary man of Jeong, On, Lim, Jin-bu, and Heo, Mok, and led the Nammyeong School in Hapcheon after the King Injo’s Restoration, traveling back and forth between the government and people.
Song, Ji-sik also inherited Nammyeong Studies from his father and became a literati after visiting Galam Yi, Hyun-il, who lectured at Geumyangjeongsa Temple in Andong. He was always invited as a guest of honor in the rituals of his time and was so learned and virtuous that he served as the director of Yongam and Goam Seowon in Samga-hyeon, Deokgok Seowon in Uiryeong, and Yongmun Seowon in Aneum. The Yongam Seowon, where he served as director, was the place where Nammyeong was enshrined, and the Goam Seowon was enshrined with Roh, Heum, Yi, Heul, and Lim, Jin-bu, who were the members of the Nammyeong School. In addition, Deokgok Seowon was the place where Yi Huang was enshrined, and Yongmun Seowon was the place where Lim, Hun, Lim, Woon, and Jeong, On were enshrined, respectively, and these show that his scholarship inherited both Nammyeong and Toegye Schools.
This aspect of his studies can also be seen in his scholarship. Song, Ji-sik had a wide range of contacts with the members of the previous generation’s Nammyeong school and Galam literati throughout the Gyeongsangbuk-do region, including Hapcheon, Jinju, Danseong, Uiryeong, Goryeong, and Hyunpung. He was also close to Yi, Hyun-il's brother, Yi, Seong-il, and son, Yi, Jae, and when Yi, Hyun-il was exiled due to the Gyeongsin hwanguk(庚申換局), they exchanged letters and comforted each other. He also maintained ties with Kwon, Dae-woon, with whom his father, Song Jeong-ryeom, had corresponded while he was in a central position, and with Kwon, Hae, who, along with Yi, Hyun-il, served as a leader of Namin(南人) faction during the reign of Sookjong. This confirms the contemporary status of Song, Ji-sik, who had a wide range of contacts with figures in the Yeongnam School as well as with those in the Namin faction who dominated the central government in the mid-to-late 17th century.