Abstract

In sixteenth-century Korea, the Four-Seven Debate was a very important topic for many leading Neo-Confucians, such as Yi Hwang, Yi I, and their debaters. It played a powerful role in contributing to the distinctive development of Korean Neo-Confucianism, thereby producing the focused yet divergent interpretations of Sŏngnihak in the Chosŏn dynasty. Overall, it established an intellectual agenda for many thinkers and scholars until the late nineteenth century. Part I below is a textual and historical introduction to the Four-Seven issues.