With contributions by some of the best and most significant contemporary Korean philosophers, this important volume provides an overview of the different debates, problems, figures and periods that make up traditional Korean Buddhist and Confucian thought. The book highlights the richness and diversity of Korean philosophy as a vital and ongoing philosophical endeavour.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the issue of the meaning to be attributed to our talk of Korean philosophy. Of course, the answer to all the questions that can be raised concerning this issue depends on our conception of philosophy. I start by claiming that philosophy should be an ars vivendi aiming at making our life worth living. Drawing on Socrates’s saying that the unexamined life is not worth living, I try to show that philosophical inquiry (...) has to start with the reflection upon the belief-system underpinning our way of life. Through this reflective activity we are inevitably led to tackle the problem of cultural identity constituted by such belief system; there is no belief-system that is not culturally conditioned. Korean philosophy is an ongoing endeavor of the Korean people to renew their cultural identity—by way of philosophical reflection upon their cultural identity. (shrink)

"한국사상은 철학인가?" 라는 물음은 오랜 물음이지만 아직 명확히 답변되지 않은 물음 이다. 이 논문은 서양철학을 기준으로 다양한 국가의 사상이 철학인가를 평가하려는 시도는 부적절하며, 동양철학이나 서양철학이 아닌 철학 일반, 즉 보편철학 또는 세계철학의 기준 을 마련하고 그에 따라 다양한 사상이 그 기준에 부합하는가를 평가해야 한다고 주장한다. 이와 관련하여, 2장은 먼저 "중국철학의 적절성" 문제가 제기되는 배경과 중국 학계의 대응을 살피고, 서양철학을 하나의 기준으로 제시하는 것이 부적절하다는 점을 지적한다. 그런 뒤에 3장은 한국사상의 발전 과정과 연구 동향을 비판적으로 고찰하고, 보편철학을 진리 추구의 학문으로 규정할 (...) 때 한국사상이 보편철학으로 포함되기 위해 개선되어야 할 몇 가지 조건을 제안한다. (shrink)

This translation of an English essay that was subsequently published in the Journal of Humanities Therapy 8.2 (December 2017), pp.75-111, was published in the proceedings of the 2017 Bk21+ International Conference on Philosophical Counseling and Therapy.

Philosophy as an academic discipline was introduced to Korea at the end of the 19th century. Philosophical education and professional research did not begin, however, until the 1920s. The first ins...

Eastern philosophy, including Korean thought, is opposed to the dominant Western perspec­tives, especially dualism. Korean Dong-hak life ecology equates the human being with God and nature and holds that there is a circular interrelationship between them. It is based on Daoism which stresses the unity of the universe and Buddhism which contains an anthropo­cosmic world view. The key ideas involving Korean green concerns are Dong-hak ecology, ecological Daoism, and Buddhist ecological philosophy. These ideas have been translated into (...) practice in the Indramang Community. (shrink)

This study investigates the relationship among ethical philosophy, thinking style, and managerial ethical decision-making. Based on the premise that business ethics is a function of culture and time, we attempt to explore two important questions as to whether the national differences in managerial ethical philosophies remain over time and whether the relationship between thinking style and ethical decision-making is consistent across different national contexts. We conducted a survey on Korean managers’ ethical decision-making and thinking style and made a cross-cultural, (...) cross-temporal comparison with the results presented by previous studies that surveyed Korean and US managers with the same questionnaire at different points in time. Our analysis revealed that Korean managers have become more reliant on rule utilitarianism for ethical decision-making over the last two decades, which is dominantly used by US managers, corroborating our convergence hypothesis built on social contracts theory. However, as opposed to previous research, we found that managers with a balanced linear and nonlinear thinking style do not necessarily make more ethical decisions compared to those with a predominantly linear or nonlinear thinking style. This study contributes to international business ethics literature by presenting a theoretical framework that may explain the convergence of ethical philosophies employed by managers in different national contexts over time, and that the relationship between thinking style and managerial ethical decision-making may not be universal, but contingent on contextual factors. (shrink)

This book explores Neo-Confucianism and its relationship to politics by examining the life and work of the two iconic figures of the Joseon dynasty Yi Hwang, and Yi I.

Korean Buddhism is distinctive within the broader field of East Asian Buddhism for the pronounced degree of its syncretic discourse. Korean Buddhist monks throughout history have demonstrated a marked tendency in their essays and commentaries to focus on the solution of disagreements between various sects within Buddhism, or on conflicts between Buddhism and other religions. While a strong ecumenical tendency is noticeable in the writings of dozens of Korean monks, among the most prominent in regard to their (...) exposition of syncretic philosophy are Wŏnhyo 元曉 617-686), Pojo Chinul 普照知訥 1158-1210) and Hamheo Kihwa 涵虚己和 1376-1433). (shrink)

A metaphor is an effective way to show how something is to be conceived. In this article, I look at two Neo-Confucian Korean philosophical contexts—the Four-Seven debate and Book of the Imperial Pivot—and suggest that metaphors are philosophically expedient in two further contexts: when both intellect and emotion must be addressed; and when the aim of philosophizing is to produce behavioral change. Because Neo-Confucians had a conception of the mind that closely connected it to the heart (心 xin), metaphor’s (...) empathy-inducing and perspective-giving capacities made it an especially helpful mode of philosophizing in the history of Korean philosophy. (shrink)

This volume is the first comprehensive and in-depth discussion written in English of the Confucian tradition in the context of the intellectual history of Korea. It deals with the historical, social, political, philosophical and spiritual dimensions of Korean Confucianism, arguably the most influential intellectual tradition, ethical and religious practice, and political-ideological system in Korea. This volume analyzes the unique aspects of the Korean development of the Confucian tradition by examining the role of Confucianism as the ruling ideology of (...) the Choson Dynasty. It investigates Confucianism’s social and cultural construction, and intellectual foundation in highlighting the Korean achievement of the Neo-Confucian discussion on "human nature and its principle" in light of the Chinese Neo-Confucian development. The volume also surveys the most influential Korean Confucian scholars discussing their philosophical significance in relation to one of the most fundamental Neo-Confucian discourses, namely the li and qi debates, to elucidate how metaphysical theories shaped the socio-political factions of the Choson Dynasty. Furthermore, issues concerning the relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism and other native traditional belief systems are also included in this volume. The volume explores the Confucian confrontation with modernity, encounter with the "Western Learning" including Western science and Catholicism, and the Confucian struggle with modernity in dealing with issues such as democracy, human rights, and gender in modern Korea. Individual contributors of this volume are either well established senior scholars or promising young scholars in the field. (shrink)

This is a study of 288 Korean and 323 Japanese Business executives. The result indicates that, (1) the business executives believe basically in higher level business ethics, but (2) they occasionally have to make unethical business decisions which conflict with their personal values, because of prevailing business practices. (3) However, they think higher ethical standards is useful for long-term profit and for improving workers' attitudes, and the standards can be improved, and (4) to improve ethical standards, model setting by (...) superiors is the most important and clear-cut company policies and code of ethics are essential. (shrink)

This book explores Neo-Confucianism and its relationship to politics by examining the life and work of the two iconic figures of the Joseon dynasty Yi Hwang, (1501-1570, Toegye) and Yi I (1536-1584, Yulgok).

There is ongoing debate on whether Juche (주체/主體), the North Korean state ideology, is indigenous, Marxist-Leninist, or Confucian—or if it’s a real philosophy at all. In this article, I introduce Juche and show how characteristics that philosophers identify to be unique or pronounced in premodern Korean philosophy can be found in Juche as well. Intellectual adaptation, pragmaticism, and an emphasis on continual improvement are prominent in both premodern Korean thought and Juche. Juche should be understood as a (...) politically inflected outgrowth that is embedded within the larger context of Korean philosophy. (shrink)

This essay introduces two Korean women Confucian philosophers: Im Yun- jidang and Gang Jeongildang who lived in the latter period of the Joseon dynasty. Im Yunjidang was the first Confucian woman to explicitly claim women possessed an equal capacity to become sages as men. Gang Jeong- ildang made it clear that she was inspired by and sought to develop the thought of Im and added her own unique insights and new perspectives. Though they and their writings differ in many (...) ways, these two women philosophers created a lineage of female sages, marking a turning point in the history of Confucian philosophy. This paper aims to provide the his- torical background that shaped their thought and to introduce some of their writings in the hope of inspiring readers to study further the lives and philosophies of these two remarkable women and to take up and extend the insights they have left behind. (shrink)

현대 한국의 실천철학자로 손꼽히는 하기락은 자주인(自主人)에 의한 해방의 철학을 개척하였다. 그의 『조선철학사』는 한국의 전통에서 아나키즘을 이끌어내려는 결과물이다. 단순히 한국 철학의 역사를 전개한 것이 아니라 자주인에 대한 사상의 역사를 서술한 것이다. 그가 말한 자주인은 계급과 권력 등의 강제된 폭력으로부터 자유롭게 해방된 인간을 말한다. 『조선철학사』에 따르면, 상고시대에 일찍이 사람들이 서로 협력하여 자유롭고 평화로운 공동의 생활을 유지하였다고 한다. 그는 이러한 점을 한국 아나키즘의 기원으로 논의하였고, 역사적 고찰을 시도하였다. 상고시대 이후 왕조의 교체와 분열로 인해 아나키즘의 정신은 쇠퇴하였지만, 조선중기 이후부터 정신이 부활된다. 대표적인 인물로는 서경덕, (...) 정약용, 최수운이 있으며, 근대에 이르러 신채호가 있다.BR 그는 사상사 기술에 있어 신채호의 영향을 많이 받았다. 하기락은 신채호의 고대 사상 관련 문헌들을 직접 인용하면서 이에 대해 평가하였다. 평가를 통해 신채호의 관점을 계승하거나 변용하며 한국 전통에서 아나키즘의 역사를 모색하였다. 하기락의 한국철학 연구는 궁극적으로 한국적 아나키즘의 전통을 성립하려는 기획이었으며, 동시에 현대의 국가중심주의에서 인간중심주의로 사유의 전환을 모색한 것이다. (shrink)

Since the Korean Philosophy of Education Society was established in 1964, the question regarding the nature of Philosophy of Education as a modern discipline has always been a vexing question to mo...

This paper is a short report about a series of picture books and manuals designed for P4C (especially Philosophy for Korean Young Children). There were not proper educational reading materials or books to help Korean young children to think by (or for) themselves and dialogue with. Dr. Sharp’s is a very helpful guidebook for young children to think by themselves, dialogue with friends, and discuss with others (peers, older or younger children, teacher and parents, etc.). However, there remain (...) some needs for consideration of Korean culture. I developed new eight picture books for young children and short manuals for parents and teachers to do ‘thinking experiments’ with children. The stories were created in the contexts of Korean young children’s daily lives and typical episodes. The community of inquiry, which Korean young children participate in, needs to consider general and special aspects, such as the relationship between peers, children-parents, and children-teachers, Confucius or new western customs, new and old generations, moral and cultural atmosphere of Korean kindergartens or childcare centers, etc. Various episodes and scenes in the picture books will revoke and encourage Korean children’s deeper or higher thinking, interesting and creative dialogues, vivid and harmonious discussions based on their own experiences and contexts of life in the community of inquiry. (shrink)

As far as I’m concerned, Korean moral education is facing the new challenge and new era. I’m teaching Korean secondary school studens as an Ethic teacher in high school and EBS lecturer as well. I’m worried about Korean education especially in middle and high school. There was missing thinking those parts cause an entrance examination, only for university in Korea. In this a serious worry, I found some exits from significant experience. First, I’d like to mention about (...) P4C (Philosophy for children) Program which was learned from Professor Mattew Lipman of Mont Clair State University in New Jersey, U.S.A. This program is emphasizing upon thinking skill including creative, critical, and caring thinking. The huge shift from knowledge based education to thinking based education inKorea contemporarily. Also Student-based education is new stream of Korean education system. Teachers think students come to school to get knowledge, parents think children can learn judgment at school which was "lost area.”All this things come from philosophy, when we ask for reason it is a philosophical question. For example, "Why is he a hero?”, “He is brave.” "Why is he brave?" Which is philosophical conceptualization? Every day life gives us some questions and concepts like: love, freedom and philosophy gives us answers to those question so without philosophy we cannot have happy life. In reality of Korean education system there is no independent class for philosophy. So philosophy can be taught in Korean language classes or social studies. I started using P4C program from Lipman: I taught students making questions or making stories. These exercising result was remarkable and amazing. So questions are thebeginning of discovering new knowledge. Even if the knowledge is known by other people students can enjoy the process of discovering new knowledge. They could also get thinking skills. (shrink)

본 연구의 목적은 한자경의 연구(『한국철학의 맥』)에서 ‘다산이 우리 사상사의 연속성, 정신의 역사성을 부정했다’는 주장을 반성적으로 검토하는 것이다. 한자경은 성리학을 ‘내재주의’적 관점으로, 다산의 학문을 ‘외재주의’적 관점으로 해석하며, 정약용의 사상은 결국 ‘탈성리학적’이면서 ‘탈유교적’이라고 해석한다. 한자경의 주장에 따르면 다산은 송대 성리학이 공맹의 원시유학과 그 근본정신에서부터 상반되며 질적으로 ‘변질’된 것으로 본다. 이렇듯 한자경은 다산이 ‘주희가 유학의 도통으로 확립한 것이 오히려 유학의 왜곡일 뿐’이며, 주자학을 계승한 조선 유학의 역사도 “자기 왜곡의 역사”인 것이라고 주장하여, 결과적으로 다산은 “우리 사상사의 연속성, 정신의 역사성을 부정”하고 있다고 규정한다. 한자경은 이러한 (...) 다산의 사상관이 마테오 리치(Matteo Ricci, 1552-1610)의 『천주실의』에 대한 영향 때문이라고 주장한다. 그렇지만 다산의 학문이 “우리 사상사의 연속성, 정신의 역사성을 부정”하는 것이며, 이것을 마테오 리치의 『천주실의』에서 배운 것이라는 한자경의 주장은 이 연구서 전체에 흐르는 ‘한국철학의 맥’ 즉 일심이 유독 다산에게서만 단절되었다는 문제가 생긴다. 이에 대해 논자는, 다산에게서 한국철학의 고유성이 없지 않으며, 특히 다산의 편지글에는 역사와 시원에 대한 그의 관심이 많이 나타난다는 점과 그의 독특한 실존적 사상 경향이 나타나고 있음을 드러내었다. 그는 자신의 실존적 삶 속에서 더 깊이 더 멀리 시원을 바라보았으며, 우리나라 문학과 역사, 선현들의 글들을 읽고 지혜를 얻어 또 그것을 후세에 전해주려고 노력했다. 다산은 ‘주자학’과 ‘공맹유학’을 거슬러 올라가, 그것들 보다 더 원천적인 ‘상고시대 중국유학’, 또 그 보다도 더 시원적이면서 동시에 ‘지금 여기’를 강조하는 실존적인 철학적인 사유를 추구하고 있다. (shrink)

This study examines the Korean aesthetic consciousness of colour by focusing on the preference far white in clothing culture. A nation's symbolic use of certain colours develops over time as a tradition representing the national sentiment and philosophy of life. In this way, traditional colours not only influence the senses but also evoke ideas about a country's social customs. Far example, white clothes without bleaching, artificial processing, or fancy patterns have a simple and pure beauty. This paper discusses the (...) Korean partiality toward such clothing as representative of the spiritual virtues of purity and holiness. A comparison is drawn with China and Japan, where traditional clothes feature other colours despite some shared concepts across the cultures, such as yin-yang and the five elements. (shrink)

This essay attempts a philosophical reflection of the Confucian ideal of “scholar-official” in Joseon Korea’s neo-Confucian context. It explores why this noble ideal of a Confucian public being had to suffer many moral-political problems in reality. It argues first that because the institution of Confucian scholar-official was actually a modus-operandi compromise between Confucianism and Legalism, the Confucian scholar-officials were torn between their ethical commitment to Confucianism and their political commitment to the state; and second, that because the Cheng-Zhu neo-Confucianism vigorously (...) imported and indigenized by Joseon Koreans exalted the family over the state, Joseon neo-Confucian scholar-officials were torn between two competing moral obligations, filiality and loyalty. The essay concludes by discussing whether, given the problems with which the ideal of the Confucian scholar-official was frequently entangled, liberal individualism should be pursued as its normative alternative. (shrink)

Korean Women Philosophers and the Ideal of a Female Sage explores the lives of two Korean women Confucian scholars of the late Joseon Dynasty, Im Yunjidang (1721–1793) and Gang Jeongildang (1772–18...

Evidence from life science, cognitive science, and philosophy supports the hypothesis that knowledge is a central norm of the human practice of assertion. However, to date, the experimental evidence supporting this hypothesis is limited to American anglophones. If the hypothesis is correct, then such findings will not be limited to one language or culture. Instead, we should find a strong connection between knowledge and assertability across human languages and cultures. To begin testing this prediction, we conducted three experiments on Koreans (...) in Korean. In each case, the findings replicated prior results observed in Americans and were corroborated by key findings from new replication studies on Americans using materials back-translated from Korean. These findings support the theory that there is a core, cross-culturally robust human practice of assertion and that, according to the rules of this practice, assertions should express knowledge. (shrink)

이 글은 오늘날 한국사회의 생명정치적 담론으로 볼 수 있는 ‘위험의 외주화’를 조르조 아감벤이 제시한 ‘호모 사케르’(Homo Sacer)의 정치철학을 경유하여 분석‧검토하는 내용으로 구성되어 있다. 이를 통해 아감벤의 사유가 과연 우리의 노동현실에 적실성을 가진 이론인지를 평가하고, 위험의 외주화 담론에 내재한 생명정치성을 보다 면밀하게 고찰할 수 있을 것으로 기대한다. 이러한 기획에 따라 본고의 2장에서는 연구 분석의 준거를 마련하기 위한 차원에서 아감벤이 제시한 호모 사케르의 정치철학을 개략적인 수준에서 검토하고, 3장에서는 한국사회의 생명정치적 담론으로 설정한 위험의 외주화에 관한 내용을 다루어본다. 논문의 핵심부분을 차지하는 4장은 아감벤이 제시한 (...) 호모 사케르의 이론적 틀을 경유하여 한국사회의 위험의 외주화 담론을 분석하는 내용으로 구성되어 있다. 연구결과, 호모 사케르의 정치철학에 관한 테마들인 주권의 역설(포함된 배제)‧추방령‧비식별역‧예외상태‧수용소 등은 ‘위험의 외주화’ 담론에 대한 해석적 고찰에 있어 유의미한 프리즘으로 기능하고 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. (shrink)

The study reveals the political and ideological journey of Beom-do Hong, a Korean independence fighter and general as reflected in the historical novel of Soviet Korean writer Kim Se-il. Due to to the lack of historical records on Beom-do Hong, stories on his deeds before and after the Japan's annexation of Korea remained at the level of legends. In Korean society, his figure is seen within opposing positions and discourses; to some he is a national hero; to (...) others a communist collaborator. This investigation of the historical novel as a medium for the transmission of shared memories based on the protagonist's battle diary and the recollections of his comrades will fill the gap in the historical memory and contribute to alleviating social political conflicts. Memorial heritage is closely linked to the intangible aspects of heritage, which is an essential driver of development. (shrink)

Die Beiträge in diesem Buch sind in transkultureller Perspektive Problemen der Epistemologie, der Anthropologie, der Ethik und der politischen Philosophie gewidmet. Unter dem Titel Menschsein - On Being Human diskutieren koreanische und deutsche Philosophen Themen der einen Welt: Universale und lokale Diskurse über Kultur und Transkulturalität im Zeitalter der Globalisierung, die Rolle der Religionen, öffentliche Rationalität, transkulturelle Gerechtigkeit und Universalität von Menschenrechten. The contributions in this book are from a transcultural perspective and devoted to problems in epistemology, anthropology, ethics and (...) political philosophy. Under the title Menschsein - On Being Human, Korean and German philosophers discuss topics to do with one world: universal and local discourses about culture and transculturality in the age of globalization, the role of religion, public rationality, transcultural justice, and the universality of human rights. (shrink)

Korean Women Philosophers and the Ideal of a Female Sage: The Essential of Writings of Im Yungjidang and Gang Jeongildang introduces the lives and thought of two Korean women Confucian philosophers from the late Joseon Dynasty (18th -19th century), Im Yunjidang (1721-93) and Gang Jeongildang(1772-1832), and sketches some of the ways their work can contribute to contemporary philosophical inquiry. Both women are known for arguing, on the basis of distinctively Confucian philosophical claims about the original, pure moral nature (...) shared by all human beings, that women are as capable as men of attaining the highest forms of intellectual and moral achievement and thereby can become female sages (yeoseong). The fact that they lived in a highly patriarchal culture presented special challenges, but the conditions of their individual lives offered unique opportunities and exerted different kinds of pressure upon them, which subsequently was manifested in their distinctive versions of a generally shared vision. This book explores how they were able to overcome both the general and particular challenges of their place and time and go on to live impressive and exemplary lives. We also shows how their resistance and response to the patriarchal context of late Joseon society and the different challenges they faced in the course of their individual lives informed the content and style of their philosophy and produced original philosophy that remains of great value to us today. (shrink)

이 논문은 생존을 위해 혁신의 측면을 지나치게 강조함으로써 고향상실의 사태를 유지하고 있는 한국사회에 대한 철학적 반성을 시도한다. 오뒤세우스는 귀향을 시도하는 것처럼 보이지만, 감각적 쾌락과 지식의 욕망, 즉 세계 지배의 욕망 때문에 계속적으로 귀향을 지연시킨다. 고향상실은 바로 세계 지배의 욕망 때문에 발생하는 것이고, 귀향은 오로지 세계 지배 욕망의 절제를 통해서만 이루어질 수 있다. 힌트리히스의 고향상실의 철학은 바로 이러한 측면을 철학적인 방식으로 밝혀준다. 고향상실과 귀향의 이러한 긴밀한 관계를 우리는 마르크바르트의 실존주의 철학을 통해 더욱 더 밝힐 수 있다. 이 실존주의에 따르면 인간의 실존적 (...) 사실은 느림과 빠름, 고향과 고향상실이라는 두 측면으로 구성되어 있다. 이 둘의 관계는 보상적이다. 느림은 빠름을 통해 보상되고, 빠름은 느림을 통해 보상된다. 인간은 이러한 두 요소의 상호 보상적 관계 속에서 실존한다. 우리는 욕망 실현을 위해 고향을 떠나야만 한다. 하지만 인간은 이러한 고향상실의 상태를 계속적으로 견뎌낼 수 없다. 이러한 견딤은 오로지 떠나온 고향의 존재가 유지되는 한에서만 가능하다. 그리고 고향의 존재의 유지 또한 인간이 고향상실의 사태를 실현하는 한에서만 의미가 있다. 이러한 두 요소의 보상적 관계가 바로 인간의 실존을 구성한다. 하지만 실존은 생존과 구별되어야 한다. 생존만이 문제되는 곳에서는 실존에 대한 반성과 물음이 제기되지 않는다. 실존적 요소의 상호 보상적 관계는 오로지 실존물음이 제기된 이후에야 비로소 인식되고 실현된다. 실존물음은 생존의 문제가 어느 정도 해결된 이후에야 가능하다. 한국사회는 아직도 생존을 삶의 주요한 과제로 설정하고 있다. 이러한 상태에서는 제대로 된 실존물음이 제기되지 않는다. 생존이 유일한 과제로 설정된 사회에서는 실존의 두 요소 간의 상호 보상적 관계가 실현될 수가 없다. 생존만을 부르짖다 보니, 한국사회는 혁신과 성장, 빠름과 창의성만을 유일한 가치로 내세웠다. 혁신에서 늦는 자는 생존하지 못한다. 이러한 생존 위주의 사회에서 실존물음이 제기되려면 우선 우리는 안정된 고향의 존재를 의식해야만 한다. 하지만 물리적인 고향이 모두 파괴된 한국사회에서 이러한 안전한 고향이란 존재하지 않는다. 이 상황에서 유일한 해결책은 우리가 고향을 새롭게 구성하고, 이를 고향이라 규정하고, 이를 보존하는 것을 시작하는 것이다. (shrink)