Philosophic Investigation of the 'Ghi(氣)' Phenomena

'기(氣)' 현상에 대한 철학적 고찰

  • Lee, Hyun-Ju (Department of Nursing, Catholic Sangji College)
  • 이현주 (가톨릭 상지대학 간호과)
  • Published : 1998.12.31

Abstract

When recognition of the Ghi(氣) which exist in all things, is changed on the aspects of the science of nursing, the view of health and nursing will be more efficient and can be developed as the proper concept for Korean culture. I think it is nessary to confirm which philosophical basis of the will be applicable to nursing and how to it has to be developed. Therefore I can for the research of the Ghi phenomena to attain the Thoughts of philosophy that is appropriate to expound those phenomena. And I attempt to induct "the fusion of horizons" to unify the view of the I world between Korea and the West. The Ghi is very energetic and omnipresent among the universe, Nature, and the human being. So it can organize all the primary elements of mental and I physical function of human as like life, mind, breath, feeling, energy, etc. A general concept of the Ghi is described as follows ; (1) The Ghi is the origin and essence to organize the universe, Nature, and the human being. (2) It is the perpetually movable thing. (3) And there are continuous transmission between the Ghi of the universe and the human through 'body, mind, and soul. For review on the philosophic basis of the Ghi, I studied out the identity of the doctrine of Li and Ch'i(理氣論) in the field of philosophy of Korea and the West. In Korea, the concept of the Vigor is based on Ch'i monolism(기일원론) and Li Ch'i dualism (이기이원론) of Yul-gok Lee's, Toi-kye Lee's, Hwa-dam's, and/or Hekang's. These are indispensable for the view of the world of Korea as Metaphysical ideology, Concrete science, Materialism, Ontology, and Epistemology. From the viewpoint of the philosophy of the West, the doctrine of Li and Ch'i(이기론) of Korea is identical with the doctrine of Li and Ch'i(이기론) of Joo-ja, Idea of Plato, Metaphysics of Aristotle, World Spirit(Weltgeist) of Hegel, and Existentialism of Heidegger. In the nursing theory of the West, some of them referred to the Ghi as like Energy field theory of Rogers and Energy exchange of Neuman. Though there are different in terminology, "energy" and the "Ghi" are induced comparable therapeutic action between the human and the environments. With the nursing theory of Korea, I have made an attempt to compare the Ghi with metaparadigm of nursing-the human being, the environment, the health, and the nursing. For the most part, the alternative therapy is resonable to the frame of the nursing theory of Korea. It is easy to apply alternative therapy on the every spot of nursing. So this therapy could be a kind of forms as nursing therapy in the nursing centers where take the duties of supporting in local societies. In result, independent nursing intervention will be activated by the nurse who puts up with the major parts. It is available to apply this therapy to palliation of pain, insomnia of infant, Sanhujori (산후조리), pain of menstruation, arthritis. And the alternative therapy makes it possible to propose the nursing model which represent originality, tradition, and history of the nursing of Korea. Additionally, in the field of the nursing, it is indispensable to choose a suitable methodology which is considered whether it is matched with a theory of philosophy in the boundary and object of the research. Because there are many way to get the knowledge of nursing related to the Ghi. In the science of nursing, context of sociocultural background and frame are required to understand the person who need to take care of (nursing client). But the value systems of the West and the East are distinctive each other as well as the behavior of health persuance. Therefore it is the basic research data of great worth to review philosophical the Ghi phenomena which is well known to Korean.

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