Global Korean Philosophy

Isabelle Sancho, Martin Gehlmann, Diana Yuksel, Vladimir Glomb, Taiyang Yun

Domestic/International (Major) College Students, General Public, Researchers

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Humanities

Introductory (Major-level)

This course aims to share how European scholars studying Korean philosophy perceive and understand Korean philosophy and explore directions for the globalization of Korean philosophy.

1. We will study the perspectives and understanding of European scholars on Korean philosophy, primarily centered on Joseon Neo-Confucianism.
2. We will gain a general understanding of Joseon Neo-Confucianism through topics such as cosmology, ritual theory, the education system, and bureaucratic life.
3. We will investigate important moral issues in Joseon Neo-Confucianism.
4. We will learn the characteristics of how North Korea’s “History of Joseon Philosophy” is narrated and compare it with that of South Korea.

Week 1

General overview about Korean Confucianism

A structured understanding of the thought system of Joseon Confucianism

Week 2

Confucianism and Cosmology

The cosmology of Confucianism and how it was applied in Joseon Neo-Confucianism

Week 3

Confucianism and Ritualism

Discussions in Confucianism about rites (禮)

Week 4

Instruction and evaluation: Ganghak practice in the Joseon dynasty

The unique method called “ganghak” that taught and transmitted Confucianism in Joseon, along with its distinctive features

Week 5

Theories and ideas on social participation and moral obligation in Confucianism

Exploring the lives of Joseon Confucian scholars who were simultaneously scholars, officials, educators

Week 6

Confucian education in the local setting: Hyanggyo and their curricula

Joseon’s educational system through the curriculum of Seonggyungwan and local schools (Hyanggyo)

Week 7

The transmission of the Way in Confucianism

Understanding Confucian theories of lineage (dotong) and how Joseon Neo-Confucian scholars reorganized them

Week 8

Individuals in Confucianism

The individual in a community-oriented Confucian thought

Week 9

Confucianism studies in North Korea

Methods and background of how the “History of Joseon Philosophy” has been narrated in North Korea

Week 10

Disengaging Scholars from Public Service in Early Joseon (Part 1)

Lives of “withdrawal” as a way to demonstrate loyalty and righteousness (Part 1)

Week 11

Disengaging Scholars from Public Service in Early Joseon (Part 2)

Lives of “withdrawal” as a way to demonstrate loyalty and righteousness (Part 2)

Korean Philosophy in Asian Modernization

Jeoung Sim Park, Yong Joon Won, Seung Woo An

General

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Humanities

Introductory

A course examining dynamic modern East Asia, the modern era in Japan that profoundly influenced modern Korean thought, and the broader context of Korean philosophy. Modern Korea is filled with complex ideological cross-currents. How was Neo-Confucianism seen as the “orthodoxy” to defend? Was European Enlightenment purely about “civilization and enlightenment”? How exactly did modern Japan, once regarded as a model of modernization, progress? What about the specificities of self-strengthening advocates championing nationalism in Korea? Amidst all these swirling influences, how were Koreans envisioning their future?

1. Understand the duality and multivalence of the concept “modernity.”
2. Differentiate and describe the various branches of modern Korean thinkers.
3. Summarize how Japan’s modernization proceeded.
4. Explain Park Eunsik’s concept of “Jina” (眞我).
5. Account for the life and struggles of Shin Chae-ho in a way that reconciles apparent contradictions.

Week 1

Imposed Other-Centeredness and Korea’s Modern Subjectivity

Re-examining the notion of “modernity” and looking back at the vestiges of modernity that linger in present-day Korea

Week 2

A Stamped Era: Portraits of Modern Japanese Thinkers

Understanding Japan’s modernization process and aims by focusing on three modern Japanese thinkers

Week 3

Nation-Consciousness and Identity Among Koreans in the Early Modern Period

Understanding modern Koreans’ national consciousness and national identity via figures like Jang Ji-yeon and Lee Byeong-heon

Week 4

Uneasy Modernity, Imagining the Future

Introducing currents of Korea’s modern Jeongyeok (正易) through Lee Byeong-heon and Jeon Byeong-hun

Week 5

The Gap Between Joseon Dao Learning and Japanese Neo-Confucianism

Confirming how the development of Neo-Confucianism in Joseon differed from that in Japan and understanding features of Japanese Neo-Confucianism

Week 6

From “Ancient Learning” (Kogaku) to National Studies (Kokugaku)

The flow of acceptance and rejection of Neo-Confucianism in Japan, and how it gave rise to Kogaku and evolved into Kokugaku

Week 7

The Significance of the “Defend Orthodoxy and Reject Heterodoxy (Wijeong Cheoksasasang) in the History of Civilizations

Understanding the Neo-Confucian worldview of li-qi theory and moralism, and explaining the logic and historical significance of Wijeong Cheoksa

Week 8

Park Eunsik: Penetrating Modernity Through "Jina” (眞我) — Facing Enlightenment Rationalism with “Conscience” (Yangji)

Introducing Park Eunsik’s thought and life, his “Jina” theory, and the “Daedong society” he envisioned

Week 9

Shin Chae-ho: Modern Subjectivity “I” in a Distinct “Joseon”

Dispelling three major misunderstandings about Shin Chae-ho and introducing the true face of his thought

Week 10

Discussion

Candid interviews with experts on the modernization processes of Korea and Japan

Korean Cosmopolitans

Eunyoung Kim, Hyong-jo Han, Seonhee Kim, Joong-yang Moon, Ik-cheol Shin, Sungwook Son

Domestic/International College Students, General Public

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Humanities

Introductory

This course focuses on figures in Korean history who exhibited cosmopolitan qualities, aiming to reaffirm the value of traditional philosophy in contemporary society. Here, “cosmopolitan” refers to a person who regards all humanity as kinsmen, i.e., one who seeks a human solidarity that transcends states or ethnic groups. We examine individuals from the 1500s to the 1800s, amidst the clash between Eastern and Western worldviews, who endeavored to harmonize and authentically embrace both spheres. Through them, students will appreciate the importance of reconciliation and cooperation among civilizations in modern times and explore ways to engage with and expand thought when facing an unfamiliar culture.

1. Learners completing this course can describe how East-West exchange happened between 1500 and 1800.
2. Learners can understand the value of the cultural legacies produced by Joseon intellectuals who aimed to autonomously embrace Western culture.
3. Learners can experience how thinking expands when encountering wholly different cultures, through various real-life examples.
4. Learners can reflect on ways to lead a cosmopolitan life by interacting with diverse worlds.

Week 1

Orientation

1. What is “Cosmopolitan”?
2. Chu (推) and “World as One Community”
3. Korea’s Cosmopolitans

Week 2

Hamel’s Wine & The East-West Dialogue

1. Hendrick Hamel’s shipwreck and Escape
2. Hamel’s Escape from Joseon and Epilogue
3. Why Was This Golden Opportunity Missed?
4. Hamel’s Experience and Confucian Cosmopolitanism

Week 3

World Map & Mechanical Clock I: The Blue-Eyed Confucian and Joseon People Encounter the West

1. What Is Seohak (Western Learning)?
2. Matteo Ricci
3. Lee Sugwang’s Experience of a Strange World
4. How Yu Mong-in Met the West
5. Heo Gyun and World Maps
6. Indirect Contact with the West and Joseon’s Response

Week 4

World Map & Mechanical Clock II: The Influx of Western Studies (Seohak) and Joseon’s Understanding of the West

1. Jeong Duwon and Rodrigues
2. Lee Yeong-hu and Rodrigues
3. The Crown Prince of Joseon Meets Western Missionaries
4. The “West” in Joseon and Its Spread

Week 5

Fitting “All Under Heaven” into a Map— The Encounter of Eastern & Western World Maps, “Cheonhado”

1. Traditional Perceptions of the Earthly World
2. Confucian Geographical Tradition: Various Cheonhado (Maps of All Under Heaven)
3. Transmission of “European World Maps”
4. The Birth of New Cheonhado

Week 6

From a Rectangular Land (地方) to a Round Earth (地球)—Joseon’s “Earth” Theory

1. Neo-Confucian Cosmology
2. Encounter with Western Cosmology
3. Joseon Scholars’Debates on the Earth and Heliocentrism

Week 7

1720 Experience of the Beijing Church by Joseon Literatus Lee Giji

1. The Beijing Catholic Church as a Fascinating Spot for Envoys
2. The Jesuit Priest vs. the Subofficial of Joseon’s Diplomatic Mission
3. Lee Giji’s Travel Route and the Western Paintings of the Catholic Church
4. Debates on Eastern & Western Calendars between a Jesuit Priest and Lee Giji
5. Wine & Sponge Cake Tasted at the Catholic Church

Week 8

Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, Who Is He?

1. A New Perspective: The Human Dasan
2. Dasan Jeong Yak-yong’s “Philosophy” (1) — Diverging from Western Learning
3. Dasan Jeong Yak-yong’s “Philosophy” (2) — His Confucian Classics Studies
4. The Human Dasan — Scenes from His Later Years

Week 9

The Encounter Between Russia and Joseon

1. Unfamiliar “Barbarians” Faced in the Naseon Jeongbeol (Russian Campaign)
2. The “Arasa” People Distinct From the Westerners of Catholic Church
3. Missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church Replacing the Banned Catholic Church After the 1801 Persecution
4. Encounters with Russian Painters
5. The 2nd Opium War and Lev Igorev, a Last Painter from the Russian Orthodox Mission

Week 10

The West as “Barbarians” and Joseon as a “Hermit”: Their Encounter

1. Western Legations in the 1860s Meeting Joseon People
2. Curiosities of Joseon People Reflected in Photography
3. Photographer John Thomson’s East Asian Journey
4. American Acting Minister and a Joseon Military Officer After the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (U.S. Expedition to Korea)
5. British Consul Myers Involved in Joseon Issues
6. Diplomatic Official Oh Gyeong-seok & Myers’ Written Conversation

How to Understand Our Emotions: Seongho's New Proposal 1

Youngsun Back, Hana, Stephen C. Angle, So-Jeong Park, Hagop Sarkissian, So-Yi Chung

General

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Humanities

Introductory

This lecture series aims to explore our emotional landscape through the lens of the renowned Korean Confucian scholar, Seongho Yi Ik(星湖 李瀷, 1683- 1761) who lived through Joseon Dynasty, Korea. The Confucian project can be summarized as “Learning to be Human,” which involves not just biological development but also cultural and moral cultivation. Seongho emphasized the importance of emotional education as a crucial aspect of the Confucian cultivation program. Emotions play a significant role in understanding others and being understood, making them essential for navigating complex relationships and engaging with the world meaningfully. This series will delve into Seongho’s short yet profoundly insightful work on emotions, the New Compilation of the Four-Seven Debate (Sachil sinpyeon). His approach challenges us to think critically about our own emotional lives, how our emotions guide our moral choices, shape our relationships, and ultimately define who we become. By engaging with these lectures with curiosity and reflection, Seongho’s insights will not only enrich your understanding of Confucian moral psychology but also offer practical wisdom for leading a better life.

1. Understand the importance of emotional education in the Confucian cultivation program through the philosophy of Seongho Yi Ik.

2. Analyze the impact of emotions on moral choices and human relationships.

3. Explore the complexities of human emotions through Seongho’s work, the New Compilation of the Four-Seven Debate (Sachil sinpyeon).

4. Apply Seongho’s philosophical approach to daily life to gain practical wisdom for leading a better life.

Week 1

An Introduction to Seongho Yi Ik and the Four-Seven Debate

1. Opening for “How to Understand Our Emotions: Seongho’s New Proposal 1”

2. Seongho Yi Ik’s Life and Scholarship 1: Formative Years

3. Seongho Yi Ik’s Life and Scholarship 2: Maturity and Legacy

4. Background of the Four-Seven Debate

5. The Four-Seven Debate between Toegye Yi Hwang and Gobong Gi Dae-seung

6. The Human-Dao Debate between Ugye Seong Hon and Yulgok Yi Yi

7. Seongho Yi Ik’s Opinions on Toegye and Yulgok’s Four-Seven Theories

Week 2

Zhu Xi’s Moral Psychology

1. Moral Psychology and the Nature

2. Nature as Ground of Morality

3. Emotions and the Guidance and Motivation Problems

4. Zhu's Understanding of the Four Beginnings

5. Heartmind and the Accordance Problem

6. Heartmind as Process and Zhu’s Solution to the Accordance Problem

Week 3

Seongho Yi Ik’s Moral Emotions in Lived Experience: Focusing on Comparison with Zhu Xi

1.Opening and Background

2. Seongho’s Revision of Zhu Xi’s Interpretation of the Four Beginnings

3. How to Distinguish the Four from the Seven: Commiseration from Grief, Disdain from Dislike

4. The Seven Emotions Can Become Moral Emotions

5. Closing Remarks

Week 4

Seongho Yi Ik’s Typology of Emotions

1. General Introduction

2. Categories of Emotions

3. The Four Beginnings vs. the Seven Emotions

4. The Intricacies of Emotions 1

5. The Intricacies of Emotions 2

6. Beyond the Four Beginnings and the Seven Emotions

Week 5

Seongho Yi Ik on Compassion and Commiseration: The Dongche Model for Benevolence

1. General Introduction

2. Mencius’ Thought Experiment on Child-and-Well

3. Seongho’s Distinction between Compassion and Grief

4. Seongho’s Integration between Compassion and Grief

5. Seongho’s Contributions to neo-Confucianism

6. Seongho’s Sage

Week 6

Seongho Yi Ik’s on Shame and Disdain: The Mua Model for Righteousness

1. General Introduction

2. Seongho on Shame and Disdain

3. Seongho’s Mua model of cultivation

4. Seongho’s Choice of Disdain and Commiseration

5. The Role of Shame and Disdain

6. More Details on Dongche (同體) and Mua (毋我) Model

Week 7

Yi Ik’s Presentation of Wisdom in the New Compilation of the Four-Seven Debate

1. Introduction - Emotions and the Four-Seven Debate

2. Relating, Contrasting, and Analogizing Beginnings Feelings

3. The Faculty of Knowing and the Beginning of Wisdom

4. The Two Meanings of Wisdom and the Storehouse Analogy

5. Reflecting on the storehouse analogy

6. More Details on the Beginning of Wisdom

Week 8

Seongho Yi Ik on the Role of the Four Beginnings

1. Introduction: Emotions and Ethical Cultivation

2. The Nature and Role of the Four Beginnings in Confucian Ethics

3. The Role of the Four Beginnings in Guiding the Seven Emotions

4. Human Mind and the Moderating Power of the Four Beginnings

5. Seongho’s Vision for Cultivating the Four Beginnings

6. Outro