• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.53
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• pp.255-281
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• 2017

This study examines the ways in which Confucianism developed in connection with other thoughts. Mythology especially had an great impact on the formation of Confucian thoughts. This study focuses on the concept of sage and examines how Confucianism and mythological thoughts influenced on formation and reformation of the concepts. In ancient religion, sages as a hierophantic figure, mediates human beings and gods, delivering the gods' messages to the human and the human's wishes to the gods. The fused role of shaman and ruler began to separate. A new type of leader without political power, but with a religious role with a moral authority is the Confucian concept of sage. A sage in Confucianism is an ideal person like Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi, an ordinary person can attain with effort. Anyone can become a sage in Confucianism. The early Confucian sage was more like a hyper-human with unaccessible authority in mythology. Later, a sage in Confucianism began to be described as a model figure that any human being can become. The aspect of shamans and diviners (wushi 巫師) did not disappear, but merged into a kingly power and transformed into a sage-king with moral authority. The new images are reflected in Confucian ideology of statehood or its religiosity. This study has explored the ways in which Confucianism and mythological thoughts interacted and influenced to each other through a concept of sage as an ideal personhood.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.137-155
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• 2019

The present study investigated the relationships between autistic trait and socio-moral judgments. We used Autism Spectrum Quotient, a moral judgment task in which participants needed to consider both the intention and outcomes of a person's actions, a moral judgment task in which participants were asked to evaluate a person's utilitarian choices in moral dilemmas, and Moral Foundations Questionnaire. Autistic traits were negatively correlated with blame for failed attempts to harm others, suggesting that higher autistic traits were associated with difficulty in considering intentions in moral judgments. Also, higher autistic traits were associated with higher endorsement of utilitarian option on personal moral dilemmas, and lower endorsement for no-harm principle of moral foundations. These correlations were confirmed as group differences between high autistic-trait group (AQ >= 26) and a low autistic-trait group (AQ < 26). Our findings suggest that individuals with high autistic trait may have difficulty in considering others' intentions and show lower sensitivity to no-harm principle in moral judgment tasks.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.141
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• pp.313-342
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• 2017

This paper illuminates the philosophical meaning of appropriateness(中節) in Yi Yik(李瀷) and Shin Hudam(愼後聃)'s theories of moral emotion. According to this paper, there was a difficult problem in Toegye Yi Hwang (退溪 李滉)'s philosophy. That is, How we could regulate the relation between Four Beginnings(四端) and appropriate Seven Feelings(七情). Yi Yik tried to solve this problem by elucidating philosophical significances of appropriate Seven Feelings as it were, one hand, he approved the morality of appropriate Seven Feelings, and on the other hand, differentiated appropriate Seven Feelings from Four Beginnings. Thereby He achieved to explain this problem. His solution was dependent on the concept of 'impartial sympathic spectator' that he suggested. It is valuable that Yi Yik reexamined the ethical meaning of appropriateness. His pupil Shin Hudam, however, criticised Yi Yik's opinion and identified Four Beginnings with appropriate Seven Feelings. Shin Hudam deconstructed the conceptual scheme of moral emotion suggested by Yi Yik and regarded appropriate Seven Feelings as Four Beginnings. According to Shin Hudam, the concept of appropriate Seven Feelings designed by Yi Yik was very ambiguous, actually there was no any dividing line between Four Beginnings and appropriate Seven Feelings. Both are equally moral principle manifestation(理發)and moral public(公). Now old concept category of moral emotion(Sadan and Chiljeong) was disappeared and new concept category of moral emotion was appeared, that is public and private.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.103-129
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• 2004

This article examines the Korean adolescents and adults' social representation and trust of Korean society and people using indigenous psychological analysis. Respondents were asked to write in an open-ended questionnaire their perception of the following five aspects: Korean politics, economy, society, culture and people. They were then asked to report why they trust or distrust Korean society. A total of 1,064 respondents (218 middle school students, 200 university students, 218 fathers of the middle school students, 218 mothers of the middle school students, and 210 teachers) completed a questionnaire developed by the present researchers. The data were collected during April to June, 2003. The results indicate that 94.5% of Koreans view the existing political system and politicians as being corrupt, inept, factional, and lacking in integrity. A vast majority (84.9%) recognize the existence of systemic problems in the Korean economy. A total of 78.2% see problems in Korean society being dominated by selfishness, factionalism, conservatism, and social uncertainty. For Korean culture, a majority of respondents report being proud of its cultural tradition, accomplishment, and creativity. At the same time, 45.7% report loss of cultural identity and pride due to external influences. More than half of the respondents report negative aspects of Korean people (i.e., selfish, lack of morality, rushed, and overly focused on their social image), while nearly half of the respondents report positive aspects of Korean people as being compassionate, cooperative, good-natured and hard-working. As for reason for trusting Korean society, around a third report "because it is our country," followed by its future potential, and the good-nature and willingness of Korean people to work hard. The reasons for distrusting Korean society is the dishonesty politicians, corruption, institutional ineptness, and economic uncertainty. These results indicate a low level of collective efficacy in influencing and affecting change in Korean society.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.41
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• pp.223-246
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• 2014

The main concern of classical Confucianism, which has Kongzi as its main thinker, is how one can attain moral perfection. In this respect, all of the Confucian teachings can be characterized as an attempt to expound the nature of sages or gentlemen who are believed to attain moral perfection. In Confucianism, de 德 (moral virtue) refers to moral principles or the attributes of things, and it also signifies moral qualities and abilities of humans which are believed to be bestowed by the moral source. Kongzi substantiated the details and practical methods of de, through his teachings of ren as its internal principle and li as its external form. in this way, he put a special emphasis on moral practicality of de. To study Kongzi's practical moral teachings focusing on de can be understood as a reflection on current educational issues.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.35
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• pp.335-359
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• 2012

The Mencius's saint is not a rational being but a being of real world. He thought that all mankind have the goodness, and if we complete it, we can become a 'saint' like the 'King Yao' or the 'King Shun'. And he maintained that to complete the goodness, we must understand what the goodness is. He has divided this knowledge into the innate phase and the acquired phase, and then insisted that mankind can be a saint by the both of them. Also, Mencius suggested that we can be saint by the preservation of goodness('Ren & Li'). To bring up the goodness, we're not supposed to be inclined to a material desire, we're asked a mental training of 'Si chemg' reflecting on them-self. It is a 'Dao' of the mankind. When it completes, mankind will commune(communicate) with nature. This paper focused the Saint notion of Mencius, especially the mental training of Saint & the social realization.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.59
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• pp.287-312
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• 2018

Confucianism which pursues the right relationship between person and person, depicts the ideal that moral individuals contribute to community development. In the 16th century, Toegye Yi Hwang, the authority of Korean Confucianism, reflected his educational intentions and interests and made the whole of the body of Confucianism and the whole process of the study into a series of 10 paintings 'Ten Diagrams of Sage Learning'. The purpose of the education which is claimed in the 'Ten Diagrams of Sage Learning' is to become a saint, and it ultimately coincides with the purpose of moral education which is to be introspective and practical moral man. The whole theme of 'Ten Diagrams of Sage Learning' is related to revealing the principles of humanity and morality in order to restore human nature on the basis of piety. Piety(敬) is also a purpose and a method of self-discipline, and is the main content. The method of education for traditional confucianism is aiming for the organic integration of purpose, content and method of education and reveals the consistency of the combination of knowledge and behavior in content and method. Exploring the universal value of traditional culture and re-raising moral culture that is important in traditional education is to discuss that what is valid for the present and the future is derived from the past tradition. That may be useful in solving today's educational problems. Especially, it is very meaningful to adopt a reflective approach to cultivate talented people who can 'realize oneself' and 'care for the community' which is the ultimate goal of education through analyzing the essence of moral education pursued by traditional education.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.56
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• pp.151-180
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• 2018

Since the completion of the theories on human ethics and moral had been established to pursue by Confucian thinkers like Confucius and Mencius, they generally had agreed to present the basic principles for human education which every human could be the sage. In these principles for human ethics and morality there is on the premise that the knowledge about your own ethical and that the completion of the so-called act(爲) and learning(學). They had given to us that how to get a goal for the ethical and moral lives there are several academic oriented methodology will have act and learning set. In the point of achieving complete figures which act and learning for good society, there was named the sage(聖). This concept sage has two major types. One is on for the political figures that completed, and the other one is for the realm of academic side. Confucian as above mentioned the moral human being is equipped with a complete personality and political ability to make man and society perfect. Confucius has been understood as a complete human being. Yes, ideal for these two types of figures will be fulfilled in some way? They take a mystical ability to a priori or a posteriori, such as human effort can reach the sage. There are many thinkers are obvious and logical answer for this major problem in the system of confucian philosophy I have been trying. About the sage(聖), inherently natural learning(生知) occur to the position sage or knowledge (學知), can lead to there are two of the doctrine for that problem. With the study of learning and knowledge on human beings and real society the two systems concerned together. In fact, the main content of the "Analects of Confucius" we have a set of ethical and moral values not the benevolent conversation about Jin(仁) and his disciples a steady emphasis but on in praise of learning (學) for. However, at the time in Han Tang(漢唐) Han Wi(韓愈) and Wang Chung(王充), according to such thinkers the sage is already a priori determined, cannot be reached by human effort. But At the beginning of the Neo-Confucianism, Cheng I(程?) for the pioneer this Song(宋) scholars, regarding this issue could rebirth the thought that every human could be the sage through the learning as the pre-Chin(先秦) times.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2016

A conflict of interest (COI) places people in ethical dilemma when providing consultation in a field of business, medical/pharmaceutical industry, research etc. Disclosure is a commonly adopted strategy for the adverse effect of COI, but previous studies have reported inconsistent results. This investigated whether individual differences in pursuing self-interest influence differently on consultation behavior during voluntary- or no-disclosure of COI conditions. A total of 190 adults participated in an on-line experiment which consisted of two tasks. On the 1^st task, participants were divided into either a role-oriented group or a self-interest group depending on their consultation choice on the task. On the 2^nd task, participants were required to choose whether to disclose COI to his/her virtual partner and provided consultation to them. No group differences were found in frequency of choosing voluntary disclosure. For the role-oriented group, the voluntary disclosure group provided unbiased information to the virtual partners than the no disclosure group. However, no group difference between voluntary- and no-disclosure group in the self-interest group. Implications and limitations are further discussed.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.131
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• pp.165-197
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• 2014

In this paper, I investigate on the human nature in philosophy of Wang Yang-Ming and Buddhism from a Kantian point of view. The core argument of the philosophy of Wang Yang-Ming, Buddhism and Kant is that all human beings have the pure abilities a priori to overcome themselves, to realize their own potentialities. This is called immanent transcendence. At this time human beings can be free. Kant, Wang Yang-Ming and Buddhism claim that all human beings themselves will overcome their desires from their mind and body through the immanent transcendence, reflection and contemplation on their own. When we give up the external knowledges, throw away obsessions with the selfish desires and go back to our inside, we can see our original nature. To have an insight into this inner nature, to respect the moral law a priori, this is to overcome the ourselves, and to be a Grate Man(聖人) and a Buddha. This way is the only way to be a Grate Man and a Buddha. The main proposition of Wang Yang-Ming's philosophy is expressed 'There are no things without mind.'(心外無物) The core of Kant's transcendental philosophy is called the Copernican Revolution by himself. Copernican Revolution means the transition from the object-centered epistemology to the subject-centered epistemology. 'Innate Knowing'(良知) and 'Perform Innate Knowing'(致良知), 'All human beings have the mind of Buddha'(一切衆生悉有佛性) contain the apriority, immanence of Moral Law. In this respect, the theory of Innate Knowing in Wang Yang-Ming and mind of Buddha in Buddhism, pure Moral Law in Kant has the same structure grounded in subjectivity. Even if we have the mind of Buddha, innate Knowing, moral law a priori, the reason why we don't know our original nature is that we fall into the obsessions with selfish desires, and that we have inclination to external interests. So the moment you see our original nature, ordinary people themselves turn into a Buddha. These changes and transitions are immanent transcendence. All human beings have the ability to do this changes and transitions. Buddha does not exist outside of us, but it exists with our reflections on our human nature. Buddha can not existed without our insight into the our innate Ego. Where there is our original nature, there is a Buddha. So Buddha is called the another name of the original figure of human beings.