Korean Philosophy in Women’s Life

Heisook Kim, Seseoria Kim, Sang-Who Shin, Jee Lee, Seseoria Kim, Moo-young Park, Youenhee Kho, Soo-jin Kim, Hae-eun Chung, Yun-jung Kim, MeeSun Kim

College students interested in Korean philosophy

-  

Humanities

General Education

If Korean philosophy is defined broadly as the diverse modes and forms of thinking that people have shaped while living in uniquely Korean contexts, then women cannot be excluded from a true understanding of Korean philosophy. Just like men, women have been bearers or creators of Korean thought through their own lives. The main objective of this course is to understand various modes of thought and expressions that have emerged in the lives of Korean women, thereby exploring facets of Korean philosophy.

1. Understand the features of Korean philosophy as revealed through the diverse lives of Korean women.
2. Recognize how Korean philosophical dimensions appear in women’s scholarship and art.
3. Comprehend the philosophical ideas of Korean women, which vary depending on the historical period and subject matter.

Week 1

Woman as Method

1. The Necessity of Methodological Reflection

2. Feminism and Perspective

3. Women’s Lives and the Problem of Korean Philosophy

Week 2

A Woman Teaching Women

1. Neo-Confucian Gender Norms and the Becoming of “Woman”

2. Women’s Knowledge of Confucian Classics

3. Women’s Experiences and Expertise in Everyday Life

Week 3

A Woman Becomes a Sage

1. The Female Confucian Scholar, Gang Jeongildang

2. How Could Jeongildang Become a Female Confucian Scholar?

3. The Philosophical Background that Gave Rise to a Female Confucian Scholar

Week 4

A Woman Becomes Free

1. Heo Nanseolheon’s Literary Talent and Family Environment

2. Living as a Woman in the Joseon Dynasty

3. The Poetic World of Heo Nanseolheon

Week 5

A Woman at the Center of Power

1. The Power of Royal Women—Women of the King

2. The Dialectic Between Mighty Gender Power and Family Affection

3. The Collapse of Imperfect Gender Power and Family Affection

Week 6

A Woman Sings

1. The Relationship between Classical Chinese and Women defined by the Confucian Patriarchy

2. Women’s Sino-Korean Poetry: A Rebuttal to Confucian Gender Discourse

3. Women’s Sino-Korean Poetry: Challenging Confucian Family Systems and Ethics

Week 7

Representing Women, Women Represent Themselves

1. Woman as Object

2. Women Acting as Subjects

3. Women’s Intellect in Modern and Contemporary Eras

Week 8

Women as Knowledge Producers

1. Have you heard of Ibing Heogak?

2. The Structure and Research Method of Gyuhap Chongseo

3. The Knowledge World of Gyuhap Chongseo

Week 9

Living as a Woman

1. Coming-of-age, Marriage, Funeral, and Memorial Rites: A Woman’s Life in a Confucian Framework

2. Women’s “Service Rights” and Being Mothers to Sons

3. Women as Moral Agents in Ceremonies and Rites

Week 10

Emerging as a 'New Woman' in a New Era

1. The Rise of 'New Women' in the Colonial Period

2. The Development of 'New Woman' Discourse and Social Stigma

3. The Consumer Culture of 'New Women' and Their Role as Consumers

Tradition and Modernity and Korean Political Philosophy

Sungmoon Kim & 8 Others

College students and general audiences interested in Korean philosophy or political philosophy

-  

Humanities

Intermediate

This course examines contemporary Korean political philosophy, where Confucian tradition and modern democratic-liberal institutions coexist and engage in creative dialogue.

1. By introducing contemporary Korean political theory and philosophy, learners develop active interest in Korean politics and society.
2. By focusing on citizenship and democratic institutions, learners understand the historical background of Korean democracy, its analytical methods, and key questions about Korean society.
3. Providing a forum for both Korean and non-Korean learners, the course aims to facilitate productive conversations about Korean politics and society, while offering resources to study and reflect upon Korean political philosophy and practice.

Week 1

Political Rationalism as a Neo-Confucian Legacy: A Qualitative Defect of Korean Politics

1. Neo-Confucian Political Rationalism and Its Historical Embodiment in the Joseon Dynasty

2. Rationalism in the History of Korean Politics Up to 1987

3. Democratization and Political Rationalism

4. Supplement: Q&A

Week 2

Philip Jaisohn (Seo Jae-pil), The Independent, and the Making of Democratic Citizens in Korea (1896-1898)

1. Throwing off the Shackles of Confucianism

2. Democratic Citizenship (1): Leaders and the People

3. Democratic Citizenship (2): Social Ethos and Political Institutions

4. Nationalism and Patriotic Unity

5. Education (1): The School System

6. Education (2): Newspapers and Public Debate

7. Supplement: Q&A

Week 3

The Development of Liberalism in Korea from the Late 19th Century to the Mid-20th Century

1. Liberalism as an Ideology for National Prosperity and Defense

2. Liberalism Converging on Nationalism

3. Liberalism Distorted by Compromising with Imperialism

4. Liberalism Shrunk to Anti-Communism

5. Supplement: Q&A

Week 4

“The Dead and Politics, Between Modern Generality and South-Korean Particularity”

1. Two Political Episodes on the South-Korean National Cemetery

2. Korean Politics and the Origin of Its National Cemetery

3. The Political Transformation of the National Cemetery

4. Democratization in South Korea and Critiques of the National Cemetery

5. Political Conflict over the National Cemetery

6. The National Cemetery as an Arena of Political Struggle

7. The National Cemetery as a Space of Political Integration

8. Korean Society Toward a Genuine National Cemetery

9. Supplement: Q&A

Week 5

Cultivating Civic Virtues in a Sexist Society: Drawing a Lesson from the Korean Confucian Im Yunjidang

1. Civic Virtues and Young Democracy

2. Life and Background of Im Yunjidang

3. Im Yunjidang’s Confucian Philosophy: The Moral Equality of Men and Women

4. Contemporary Significance (1): Egalitarianism and Persistent Learning

5. Contemporary Significance (2): The Role of Gender in Cultivating Civic Virtue

6. Supplement: Q&A

Week 6

Moral Virtues, Political Merits, and Legitimacy in Korean Democracy: Towards a General Theory of Virtue Politics

1. Which Moral Politics?

2. Korea as an Empirical Basis for Virtue Politics: Particularity and Generality

3. The Relation Between Moral Virtues and Political Legitimacy in Confucian Virtue Politics

4. Reversed Power Relationships in a Democratic Society

5. Confucian Virtue Politics for Korean Democracy (1): Ideal and Reality

6. Confucian Virtue Politics for Korean Democracy (2): Ideal and Reality

7. Supplement: Q&A

Week 7

Between Liberalism and Confucianism: On Constitutionalism in South Korea

1. Dualist Constitutionalism in South Korea

2. Between Liberalism and Confucianism: Two Case Studies

3. The Discontents of Public Reason Confucian Constitutionalism

4. Toward a Mediating and Democratic Strategy

5. Supplement: Q&A

Week 8

Civil Patriotism and Liberal Collectivism in South Korea

1. The Liberal vs. Republican Debate: Kateb vs. Villori

2. Beyond Liberalism and Republicanism

3. Negative Affection and Civil Patriotism

4. The Kukka as Civil Society

5. Civil Society vs. The State

6. Civil Patriotism in a Korean Context

7. Supplement: Q&A

Week 9

Politicians’ Advance and Retreat: Confucian Chul-Cheo (出處) Theory and Modern Korean Politicians

1. Chul-Cheo (出處) Theory

2. Chul-Cheo Theory and Politicians’ Advance & Retreat in Modern Korea

3. Yongtoe and Modern Korean Politics

4. Supplement: Q&A

Deviation from the Orthodox: Thinkers in Pre-modern Korea

Eunyoung Kim

All persons interested in Korean philosophy

Park Ji-hyeon

Korean Philosophy

Upper-Intermediate

Are humans fundamentally the same as other animals and plants, or different? If they are the same, how so; if they differ, in what way? This philosophical question ignited intense debate among late Joseon intellectuals, known as the “Human–Animal–Plant Nature Debate” (Inmulseongdongi). This course provides an overview of the Inmulseongdongi debate and spotlights those individuals who took a somewhat offbeat perspective on this debate—people who may have looked at mainstream academic discussions with a slightly crooked gaze. Learn why and how a debate, which might be dismissed as idle theorizing, so profoundly shook late Joseon society, not just from the mainstream vantage point, but also from the margins.

1. Understand the key issues in the Inmulseongdongi debate.
2. Explain the positions of Hong Dae-yong, Park Ji-won, Jeong Yak-yong, and Sim Dae-yun on the Inmulseongdongi debate.
3. By exploring how the debate progressed, gain deeper insights into late Joseon society.

Week 1

The Inmulseongdongi Debate

1. Opening – What is the Inmulseongdongi Debate?

2. The Form and Nature of Humans

3. Regarding Humans, Animals, and Plants – Cheonmyeong-do

4. On the Root of Differences Between Humans, Animals, and Plants

5. The “Inmulseongdong" (Human and Animal Nature are the same) View in Traditional Neo-Confucianism

6. The “Inmulseongi" (Human and Animal Nature are different) View in Traditional Neo-Confucianism

7. Closing: Unresolved Issues in the Inmulseongdong Theory

Week 2

Viewing the World from “Heaven’s” Perspective: Damheon Hong Dae-yong

1. Opening – Unresolved Issues in the Inmulseongdong Theory

2. Damheon Hong Dae-yong’s Childhood

3. Damheon Hong Dae-yong’s Coming of Age

4. Critical Reflections on Traditional Neo-Confucianism

5. The Problem of Human vs. Animal vs. Plant “Psycho-physical constitution”

6. The Problem of Human vs. Animal vs. Plant “Mind”

7. Adopting Heaven’s Perspective

8. Closing

Week 3

Viewing the World from the Perspective of “Life”: Yeonam Park Ji-won

1. Opening

2. Yeonam Park Ji-won’s Childhood

3. Regarding “Nature”

4. Regarding “Psycho-physical constitution”

5. Regarding “Life”

6. Closing

Week 4

Viewing the World from the Perspective of “Preference”: Dasan Jeong Yak-yong

1. Opening – Who Was Dasan Jeong Yak-yong?

2. King Jeongjo and Dasan Jeong Yak-yong

3. Mencius and Mencius Yoeui (Essential Interpretation of Mencius) – On “Duan” (端)

4. Dasan’s Interpretation of the Four Beginnings and Four Virtues

5. Principle (li) and the Supreme Lord (Shangdi)

6. Human Nature is “Preference”

7. Closing

Week 5

Viewing the World from the Perspective of “Interest”: Baekun Sim Dae-yun

1. Opening – Sim Dae-yun’s Life

2. Concerning Profit and Desire

3. Pursuing Profit – A Comparison with Mozi

4. Goodness and Evil Share One Root

5. Books About Fortune and Interest

6. Closing

Korean Virtue

Hongkyung Kim

International Learners

-  

Humanities

Intermediate

This lecture will examine the set of values that have shaped Korean virtue ethics in relation to the lives of Koreans who are considered to have realized, or attempted to realize, these values.

1. Through this course, students will be able to develop their own understanding of “Korean virtues” as they are embedded in the lives and ways of thinking of the Korean people.

2. Through this course, students will gain insight into the lives and thoughts of Korean thinkers who embodied and practiced these virtues.

3. Through this course, students will be able to explain how the Korean concepts of han (deep sorrow) and jeong (affection) gave rise to the communal mindset of uri (“we” or “our”).

Week 1

Virtue of Practice

1. Course Overview

2. Course Methodology

3. What is Virtue?

4. Virtue as Practice

5. Closing

Week 2

Uri (우리)

1. Uri in Korean Language

2. Historical Context of Uri

Week 3

Korean Practice of Uri

1. Uri and Korean Philosophy

2. Uri and Korean Psychology

3. Cases: Virtue of Uri

Week 4

Principle - ichi (이치)

1. What is Principle?

2. Principle in Korean language

Week 5

Korean Practice of Principle

1. How to Understand Principle?

2. Korean Practice of Principle

3. Cases

Week 6

Humanity

1. What is Humanity?

2. Han and Jeong

Week 7

Korean Practice of Humanity

1. Inherent Value of Human Beings

2. Korean Practice of Loving Others

Week 8

Righteousness

1. What is Righteousness?

2. Righteousness against Unrighteousness

Week 9

Korean Practice of Righteousness

1. Righteousness in Korean History

2. Korean Practice of Righteousness

Week 10

Humility

1. What is Humility

2. Humility in Korea

Week 11

Korean Practice of Humility

1. Respect

2. Korean Practice of Humility and Respect

Week 12

Changes and Prospects

1. Changes: Americanization

2. Alternative Thinking

3. Korea’s Place in the Sun

4. Pursuit of Balance