Korean Philosophy in the Early Modern Period

Kyung-Ku Lee, Gyeol Kim, Eunyoung Kim, Dae-Joong Kim, Bing Bing Zin, Woo-Bong Ha, Seonhee Kim, Kwan-bum Noh

Learners interested in Korean philosophy, especially in late Joseon thought

Humanities

General Education

Just before East Asia was rocked by imperialist external shocks coming from the encounters with Western modernity in the mid-to-late 19th century, in the mid-to-late 18th century, Korea, China, and Japan collectively showed signs of political and intellectual change by emphasizing pragmatism and real-world concerns. In particular, 18th-century Joseon saw the emergence of philosophical activities aimed at addressing conflicts and contradictions within the Neo-Confucian ruling system that had lasted for over 300 years. This practical and realistic type of thought is called “Silhak.” Since the 18th century, Silhak has evolved through continuous interaction with China and Japan. Studying this current of “Silhak” provides an essential foundation for gauging the expansiveness of Korean philosophy. This course explores not only the major thinkers but also the overall historical context of how Joseon Silhak arose and developed. It examines the political and cultural exchanges with China and Japan. Through these inquiries, we will explore perspectives on what “Korean” Silhak in the 21st century might look like, and even how “East Asian” Silhak could evolve in the 21st century.

1. Understand the intellectual background of 17th- and 18th-century Joseon.
2. Grasp the diverse meanings and characteristics of the term “Silhak” as used in Korea, China, and Japan.
3. Understand the concept of “Northern Learning (Buk-hak)” that arose with changing attitudes toward Qing China in 18th-century Joseon, and how Joseon’s stance on Qing evolved.
4. Identify differences and distinctive features between Joseon Silhak and Japanese Silhak by investigating the historical background of diplomatic exchange between Joseon and Japan.
5. Understand the varied academic influences that entered Joseon and the multifaceted waves they generated within Joseon’s society and intellectual culture.
6. Understand the intellectual, historical, and social context in which Joseon transitioned from the 18th to the 19th century.

Week 1

The Concept of Silhak and Its Historical Development

1. Introduction
2. The Concept of Silhak: Silhal as a Common Noun & Proper Noun
3. The Modern Understanding of Silhak (Part 1)
4. The Modern Understanding of Silhak (Part 2)
5. Historical Usage of Silhak: Classic Instances
6. Emergence of Silhak in the Late Goryeo/Early Joseon Period — Gyeonghak in Early Joseon
7. 16th-century Gyeonghak & Neo-Confucianism
8. Rise of a Practical & Pragmatic Philosophy in the 18th Century
9. The Emphasis on Silhak and Its Thinkers

Week 2

Formation and Development of Practical Thought in East Asia

(Lecture in Chinese)

1. Introduction
2. Issues in the Comparative Study of Korean/Chinese/Japanese Practical Thought (Silhak)
3. The Significance of 21st-century East Asian Silhak Studies (Part 1)
4. The Significance of 21st-century East Asian Silhak Studies (Part 2)

Week 3

The Dawn of Modern Times in East Asia: Northern Expedition vs. Northern Learning

(Lecture in Chinese)

1. Introduction
2. The Historical Situation in Joseon in the 17th-18th Centuries
3. Expanding Worldviews
4. Keywords in Northern Learning (Buk-hak): The “Cart” and the “Brick”

Week 4

The Development of Joseon Silhak during the Dawn of Modernity

1. Introduction
2. Between Self-Criticism and Self-Denigration: Park Je-ga’s Buk-hak-ui(Discourse on Northern Learning)
3. The Psychology of Buk-hak-ui(Discourse on Northern Learning): Park Ji-won’s Yeolha-Ilgi(The Jehol Diary)
4. Going Beyond Northern Learning: Seong Dae-jung, Lee Deok-mu, Hong Dae-yong

Week 5

18th-Century Silhak in Joseon and China

(Lecture in Chinese)

1. Introduction
2. Diplomatic Relations between 18th-century Qing and Joseon
3. Joseon’s “Yeonhaeng" (Envoy Visits) in the 18th Century
4. Exchanges Between Joseon Envoys and Chinese Scholars

Week 6

The Relationship Between Joseon Silhak in the Late Joseon (Edo) Period and Japan

1. Introduction
2. The Transmission of Joseon Neo-Confucianism to Japan and the Establishment of Japanese Zhu Xi Studies
3. Diplomatic Background for the Joseon Tongsinsa Exchange and the Formation of Japanese Scholarship
4. The Introduction of Japanese Kogaku (Ancient Studies) to Joseon Silhak

Week 7

The Acceptance of Western Studies in Silhak

1. Introduction
2. Western Studies as a Window to Understanding Silhak
3. Europe’s Eastward Advance and the East-West Encounter
4. Matteo Ricci’s Missionary Strategy
5. Intellectual Persuasion Through the Light of Reason
6. Western Learning Meets Joseon
7. Western Studies Enter Joseon Through China
8. Western Studies as a New Intellectual Resource in Joseon
9. Seongho Lee Ik’s Reception of Western Learning and the Expansion of Confucian Studies

Week 8

Branches of Silhak from the 19th to 20th Centuries

1. Introduction
2. Background of the 19th-century Statecraft Trend (Gyeongse Thought)
3. The Formation of Gyeongse Thought in the 19th Century
4. 19th-century Gyeongse Scholars #1: Lee Gyu-gyeong
5. 19th-century Gyeongse Scholars #2: Choi Han-gi, Park Gyu-su
6. 19th-century Gyeongse Scholars #3: Nam Byeong-cheol

Week 9

Contemporary Silhak in Korea

1. Introduction
2. The General Concept of Silhak
3. The Academic Concept of Silhak
4. The Diachronic Flow of Silhak Knowledge
5. Classification of Silhak Knowledge
6. Pre-1980s Silhak Studies
7. Post-1990s Silhak Studies

Korean Philosophy in Modern Period

Seonhee Kim & 10 colleagues

Learners interested in Korean philosophy

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Humanities

General Education

19th–20th-century Joseon (Korea) experienced oligarchy, peasant uprisings, foreign interventions, and social disruptions, but it was also a period of independent intellectual development involving deepening and diversification in the scholarly realm. This course aims to understand comprehensively the indigenous intellectual challenges and implications that appeared in Joseon just before external-driven modernization, and by comparing them with trends in China and Japan, confirm the distinctiveness of Joseon Confucianism.

1. Understand the life and thought of 19th-century scholar Choi Han-gi, who inherited Neo-Confucian and Silhak traditions in Joseon.
2. Understand the social and political conditions of 19th–20th-century Joseon and the "modern philosophy" that arose from those circumstances.
3. Explain the situation facing “Colonial Joseon” and the “Joseon Studies Movement” as an ideological movement for independence.
4. Understand how Yu Yeong-mo and Ham Seok-heon attempted to combine Korean philosophy with Christian traditions on a new religious basis.

Week 1

Introduction and General Overview

In the 19th–20th century, Joseon faced sociopolitical turmoil such as oligarchy, peasant rebellions, and foreign involvement, but also it was a period that saw a unique, indigenous academic development through enrichment and diversification. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the autonomous intellectual challenges faced by Joseon just before externally-coerced modernization. In particular, by comparing it with academic trends in China and Japan, we will confirm what distinguishes Joseon Confucianism.

Week 2

Opening and Closing: The Philosophy of 19th-century Choi Han-gi

The 19th-century scholar Choi Han-gi displayed a unique intellectual system and method within Joseon’s academic circles. By linking premodern worldviews and ideologies with modern academic languages and theories, he modeled how a premodern scholar could incorporate and situate the influx of Western knowledge in his own language and thought—thus serving as an intellectual stepping stone to modern Korean philosophy.

Week 3

Practical Mind and Practical Studies: The Ganghwa Yangming School and Modern Challenges

Led by Hagok Jeong Jae-du, the Ganghwa Yangming School maintained distinct scholarly aspirations from Neo-Confucian orthodoxy, but also interacted with other schools of the time and worked to incorporate historical changes academically. This lecture identifies the theoretical features of the Ganghwa Yangming School and sheds light on how the later disciples pursued nationalist movements with real influence.

Week 4

Fusion, Accommodation, and Breakthrough: Choe Je-u and Donghak

Donghak (Eastern Learning) was a lens into 19th-century Joseon, as a response to Western Learning in addition to being both a synthesis and transcendence of East Asian traditions. This lecture re-examines the doctrinal structure of Donghak and its social practices aimed at transforming society by overcoming social contradictions and academic dead-ends.

Week 5

Challenges of Transformation: Confucianism and “Enlightenment”

“Enlightenment” (Gaehwa), which served as both a defensive logic against foreign powers and an ideology of reform, offers a crucial viewpoint for understanding the significance and limitations of Joseon’s self-preservative efforts during a transformative era. By studying this, one can examine how Joseon thinkers sought to step onto the stage of world history, challenging civilization and converting Joseon’s social, political, and intellectual orientations.

Week 6

Formation of the 20th-Century Intellectual Field: Choe Nam-seon and the Joseon Gwangmun Society

Choe Nam-seon was a central figure in modern Korean media and publishing—and is still controversial for his pro-Japanese stance. Still, his cultural and academic movements and those of his contemporaries, as well as their base of operations in Joseon Gwangmun Society, provide a pivotal case for observing how premodern scholarship was reorganized in a modern context.

Week 7

Nation and Subjectivity: Park Eun-sik and Shin Chae-ho

Through the ideological trajectories of Park Eun-sik and Shin Chae-ho—who both wrote articles in Hwangseong Sinmun and led patriotic enlightenment movements—this lecture re-examines how contemporary intellectuals tried to restore national sovereignty. It reconsiders their ideas and logic from a contemporary perspective.

Week 8

“Joseon” as Scholarship: The Joseon Studies Movement

Rooted in premodern Joseon’s intellectual resources, the Joseon Studies Movement aimed to transform Joseon into a subject of scholarly discourse, revitalizing indigenous intellectual assets during the colonial period. This lecture examines the practices of knowledge figures such as Ahn Jae-hong and Jeong In-bo who participated in the Joseon Studies Movement, and the multifaceted aspects of their re-discovery of Silhak and Dasan Jeong Yak-yong.

Week 9

Philosophical Plans for Liberation Under the Empire’s Shadow: Korean Philosophers at Keijo Imperial University

Keijo Imperial University, established under Japanese occupation, shaped colonial Korea’s academic scene; inside it, Joseon’s Confucianism was evaluated and dissected from a modern perspective. This lecture investigates the logic and contradictions of the Korean philosophy research at Keijo Imperial University, represented by Takahashi Tōru.

Week 10

Spirituality as Thought: Ahn Chang-ho, Yu Yeong-mo, and Ham Seok-heon

Under Japanese colonial rule, figures such as Yu Yeong-mo and Ham Seok-heon stood on the new Christian religious foundation, fusing Buddhist and Confucian ideas (Korea’s cultural backdrop) to propose a notion of individuality, vitality, and spirituality in native language and framework. This lecture reviews their ideas and how they tried to transform colonial Korea through fresh religio-philosophical approaches.

Korean Philosophy in North Korea

Hyoung-chan Kim, Mincheol Park, Won-Myoung Kim, Bo-Ram Park, Kyung-Hyun Kang, Kyungho Kim, SungKun Jeon, Haeng-Hoon Lee

Domestic and international learners interested in Korean philosophy

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Humanities

General Education

This course aims to explore how traditional Korean philosophy is viewed in North Korea, another space where Korean thought is engaged. By examining both the shared and diverging perspectives of the South and North, we will identify various aspects of Korean philosophy from the North’s viewpoint and propose future directions for mutual scholarship. We will select six traditional thinkers, and South Korean specialists will analyze and explain North Korea’s approach and current research on those figures.

1. Learners completing this course can explain North Korea’s viewpoint in studying traditional Korean philosophers.
2. Learners can summarize how the arguments in North Korean intellectual history have shifted over time.
3. Learners can articulate similarities and differences in South and North Korean views on traditional philosophers.
4. Learners can formulate their own ideas on how the academic worlds of the South and North ought to progress in the future.

Week 1

Traditional Philosophy Viewed from the North and the South

1. The Shared Philosophical History of North and South
2. The Tasks of a Traditional Philosophy Researcher
3. Directions of Traditional Philosophy Research in South and North
4. Six Korean Philosophers
5. Closing

Week 2

Approaching North Korean Philosophy

1. Studying “North Korean Philosophy”
2. North Korea’s Understanding of “History of Korean Philosophy”
3. Characteristics of Research of Korean Philosophy in North Korea After 2000
4. The North’s Interpretation of Donghak and Cheondoism in Its Philosophical Context
5. How North Korean Philosophy Has Changed Since 2000
6. Main Features of Post-2000 North Korean Philosophical Research
7. Approaching “North Korean Philosophy” and the Possibility of Co-Existence in South & North Philosophy

Week 3

North Korean Research Trends on Wonhyo’s Philosophy

1. Prologue
2. Existing Research on North Korean Studies of Korean Philosophy and Korean Buddhist Philosophy in the South
3. Current Status of Research on Wonhyo’s Philosophy in North Korea
4. Shifts in the Periodic Description of Wonhyo in North Korea
5. Comparing South & North Korean Studies on Wonhyo and Looking Ahead

Week 4

North Korea Both Dislikes and Boasts About Jinul!

1. Intro
2. Jinul’s Titles and Life
3. Jinul’s Works
4. Jinul’s Thought and Influence
5. Key Features of North Korean Philosophical Research
6. Periodic Changes in North Korea’s Study of Jinul (Part 1)
7. Periodic Changes in North Korea’s Study of Jinul (Part 2)
8. Significance of Studying Jinul in South & North Korea

Week 5

Understanding Toegye Yi Hwang’s Philosophy in North Korea and Its Implications

1. Prologue
2. North Korean Philosophy’s Understanding of Yi Hwang in Philosophy History
3. The Significance of Toegye Yi Hwang in East Asian Neo-Confucian Thought
4. The Moral Philosophical Implications of Toegye’s Thought
5. Concluding Remarks

Week 6

Viewing Yulgok Through Southern Eyes—A Southern Philosopher on Yulgok in the North

1. Prologue
2. The Uniqueness of Yulgok’s Academic Thought
3. Periodic Evaluations and Perspectives on Yulgok
4. North Korean Research on Yulgok
5. Reconstructing Yulgok in History of Korean Philosophy
6. Yulgok in Complete History of Korean Philosophy
7. The North Korean Perspective on Yulgok
8. Examples of How the Division of Korea Has Affected Yulgok’s Philosophy

Week 7

Research Trends on Dasan Jeong Yak-yong in North Korean Scholarship and Possibilities for Dialogue

1. Why North Korean Scholarship on Dasan Jeong Yak-yong?
2. Existing Research Achievements
3. Lecture Configuration
4. The Birth of Silhak and the Discovery of Dasan
5. North Korean Scholarly Trends Since Choi Ik-han
6. Opportunities for Dialogue Between Southern & Northern Scholarship
7. Conclusion

Week 8

“Choi Han-gi” in North Korean Philosophy

1. Prologue
2. Understanding the History of Philosophy via the Juche Ideology
3. The First Korean Philosophy History: History of Joseon Philosophy (Vol. 1)
4. Re-evaluating Silhak Thought Through the System’s Ideological Lens
5. Periodic Shifts in Descriptions of Choi Han-gi
6. North Korea’s Classical Translation and National Classic Studies
7. North Korea’s Commentary on Gitcheukjeui(Embodiment of Righteousness Through Conjecture of Qi)
8. “Choi Han-gi’s Writings” in History of Joseon Philosophy Materials vs. South Korean Translations
9. Choi Han-gi’s Works Used in History of Joseon Philosophy
10. Silhak Scholars and the Practical Character of Choi Han-gi’s Philosophy
11. Searching for a Common Scholarly Basis in South & North Studies of Traditional Philosophy

Modernity and Locality in Korean Confucianism

Hak rae Park, Hyang Joon Lee, Hyung-sung Lee, Woojin Cho, Sung Hee Kim, Young Yi Seo, Saemio Kim, Won-seok Lee

General

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Humanities

Intermediate

Has Korean philosophy ended in the nineteenth century? Can it be reduced simply to the dichotomy of the Giho school and the Yeongnam school?
This course seeks to move beyond the narrow, linear, and fragmentary understanding of Korean philosophy that has prevailed thus far, and instead highlight its diversity—focusing in particular on a branch of Confucianism in the modern period that may be referred to as Honam Confucianism. At the center of this tradition stood Nosa Gi Jeong-jin, whose ideas and life form a crucial point of entry. Behind the multiplicity of arguments advanced by Gi Jeong-jin and his disciples lay an extensive network of intellectual exchanges that transcended regional boundaries.
This course will first introduce Nosa Gi Jeong-jin, his life, and his thought, and then examine the diverse intellectual positions of his followers who shaped the Nosa school and Honam Confucianism, interpreting them through the lens of “regional Confucianism.”

1. Understand the life and scholarly trajectory of Nosa Gi Jeong-jin.

2. Describe the composition and characteristics of the Nosa school.

3. Explain the regional distribution of the Nosa school.

4. Comprehend the debates surrounding Gi Jeong-jin’s doctrines.

Week 1

Modern Korean Confucianism and the Honam School

1. Course Overview

2. Prologue

3. Shifts in the Intellectual Landscape: The Toegye and Yulgok Schools in the Context of Scholarly Divergence

4. Reinterpretations of Neo-Confucian Doctrine and Doctrinal Debates

5. Practical Responses for the Realization of Righteousness and the Continuation of the Confucian Tradition

6. Modern and Contemporary Confucianism and Honam Confucianism

Week 2

The Scholarship and Thought of Gi Jeong-jin

1. Prologue

2. The Continuation of Honam Confucianism through the Tradition of Family Learning (Gahak) and Scholarly Development

3. A Critical Resolution of the Horak Debate on Human Nature and Material Force

4. Reinforcing the Thorough Governance of Li over Qi

5. Practical Orientation in the Wijeong Cheoksa Thought (the Thought of Upholding Orthodoxy and Rejecting Heterodoxy)

6. The Significance and Influence of Gi Jeong-jin’s Scholarship and Thought

Week 3

Gi Jeong-jin’s Teaching Activities and the Formation of the Nosa School

1. Prologue

2. The Development of Honam Confucianism

3. Gi Jeong-jin’s Teaching Activities and the Consolidation of His School

4. The Formation of the Immediate Discipleship of the Nosa School

5. The Succession of Gi Jeong-jin’s Scholarship and Doctrinal Debates

6. The Expansion of Teaching Activities and Diverse Scholarly Pursuits

7. Practical Responses to Contemporary Challenges and the Continuity of the Scholarly Lineage

Week 4

The Oep’il Debate (Debate on the Use of External Writings/Brush)

1. Intro

2. The Motive behind Oep’il

3. The Intellectual-Historical Background of Oep’il

4. So, What Is Oep’il

5. The Development of the Oep’il Debate

6. Looking Back from the Perspective of the Twenty-First Century

Week 5

The Philosophical Debate at Naeyangsa Temple

1. Intro

2. The Intellectual-Historical Background of “The Naeyangsa Debate”

3. How Should We Understand “The Naeyangsa Debate”?

4. An Overview of the Naeyangsa Debate and the Role of Jeon Woo

5. Outro

Week 6

Hwasun Confucianism and the Formation of the Nosa School

1.Intro

2. The Intellectual-Historical Background of “The Naeyangsa Debate”

3. How Should We Understand “The Naeyangsa Debate”?

4. Outro

Week 7

The Nosa School in the Gochang Region of Jeonbuk

1. Intro

2. Regional Distribution of the Nosa School

3. The Succession and Expansion of Nosa Confucianism in Jeonbuk (Part 1)

4. The Succession and Expansion of Nosa Confucianism in Jeonbuk (Part 2)

5. Outro

Week 8

Nosa Confucianism in the Yeongnam Region

1. Intro

2. The Formation of Nosa Confucianism in Yeongnam

3. The Encounter between Nosa Confucianism and Nammyeong Studies

4. The Theory of Cultivating “Seeds of Reading” and the Dissemination of Nosa Confucianism

5. Inner Growth through the Consciousness of the Great Self (Dae-a)

6. Outro

Week 9

The Encounter and Succession of the Honam and Yeongnam Branches of the Nosa School

1. Intro

2. The Political and Social Climate of the Nineteenth Century and the Characteristics of the Intellectual World in Honam and Yeongnam

3. Gi Jeong-jin and the Nosa School in Western Gyeongsang Province

4. The Expansion and Succession of Nosa Confucianism

5. Outro

Week 10

Buhae An Byeong-taek and the Nosa School in Jeju

1. Prologue

2. Buhae An Byeong-taek and His Disciples

3. Intellectuals and the Jeju Nosa School

4. Closing

Week 11

The Nosa School and 20th-Century Korean Confucianism

1. Prologue

2. Catholic Critiques of Confucianism and Jeong Yak-yong’s Response

3. The Wijeong Cheoksa School’s Criticism of Catholicism

4. The Response of the Nosa School

5. The Nosa School and 20th-Century Korean Confucianism