• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.36
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• pp.135-172
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• 2013

Two schools represent the Li theory of nature in the 19th century. They are the Li's superintendence school of Lee Hangno, Ki Jungchin and Lee Jinsang and the Li and Ki's mutual superintendence school of Chun Woo. They share a theoretical concern about the blockage of Ki's free rein. However, their concepts of superintendence are very different. Thus, various disputes arise among them and consequently different solutions are proposed. The Li's superintendence school applies Li's power even in the actual world, which has completely dominated Ki by conferring dynamic power on Li. However, Chun Woo, a representative theorist of Li and Ki's mutual superintendence, accepts only Ki's dynamic power. By denying Li's dynamic power, he argues that there is no other thing than Ki which takes the lead in reality. His solution to block Ki's free rein is to make Ki(mind) a disciple of Li(standard or nature) and to make Ki follow Li's lead.