• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.148
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• pp.1-27
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• 2018

The 10th constitution established in 1987 serves as the theoretical foundation of democracy in South Korea in the 21st century. Respect for human rights, resistance to injustice, and equality consciousness inherent in this constitution do not conflict with the content of Confucian philosophy. This means that the spirit of the constitution of South Korea in the 21st century was formed under the influence of the idea of democracy and Confucian philosophy. However, the 10th constitution attaches importance to the idea of the 'Basic free and democratic order', which was accepted in the Yushin constitution and inherited by the military forces. The Yushin constitution was affected by liberalism that prioritizes freedom over equality rather than supporting the compatibility between freedom and equality. Therefore, policies to expand the interests of the bourgeoisie rather than public welfare or the interests of the public have been implemented frequently. In particular, during the Lee Myeong-bak and Park Geun-hye regimes, many unequal phenomena were mass-produced. Confucian philosophy in the 21st century critically sees this unequal society. Confucian philosophy thinks that a sense of relative deprivation plays a role of alienating humans and emphasizes the importance of equal relationships. In addition, this constitution emphasizes the rule of law. However, the rule of law attaches importance to positive laws when the spirit of the constitution that contains natural law is applied to reality through systems. This rejects autonomous judgments and choices while inducing reliance on heteronomy. These heteronomous laws as such are accompanied by forcibleness. The positive laws as such can degrade humans into passive beings that indiscriminately adapt themselves to frames already set instead of active beings that think freely and creatively. Confucian philosophy regards and criticizes the rule of law as a system that makes humans into a means. Confucian philosophy regards humans as moral beings instead of tools. Confucian philosophy seeks to build a healthy society through morality accomplished through conscious realization of the principles of life. Confucian philosophy regards humans as originally free beings. Therefore, human beings are autonomous beings, not heteronomous beings. According to Confucian philosophy, humans beings that can realize the morality contained in their inner side by themselves to responsibly carry out their own judgments and choices. Therefore, Confucian philosophy, which considers human beings as beings to be trusted instead of beings to be distrusted, attaches importance to the realization of human decency through edification rather than by punishment through the law. This means that human values cannot be kept by the heteronomy termed positive laws but the identity of humans can be maintained by voluntary choices and judgments. As such, the comment of Confucian philosophy on the problems of liberal democracy and positive laws contained in the 10th constitution can be helpful in essentially solving the contradictions of modern South Korean society.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.27
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• pp.363-386
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• 2009

This paper's aim is to articulate the educational ideas and methodology of Confucian philosophy in contrast with western classical Philosophy. The ideas and methodology of western classical philosophy is manifested on "the similes of cave" in The Republic of Plato. "The similes of cave" teaches us that 1) philosophy begins with criticism of everyday's consciousness, 2) philosophy is based upon radical philosophical attitude, 3) philosophy request absolute knowledge of the ultimate, 4) philosopher enlightenments the people with absolute knowledge of the ultimate. Confucius said, "at fifteen, I had my mine bent on learning, ⋯⋯ at fifty I knew the decrees of Heaven, ⋯⋯ at seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right." This is a typical of philosophical life. Therefore, What the Great Learning as one of confucian Four Books represents, is 1) to illustrate illustrious Virtue, 2) to renovate the people, 3) and to rest in the highest excellence.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.126
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• pp.423-461
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• 2013

The researcher conducted this study to investigate what special meaning does an emotion experience program, a Confucianism philosophical thinking, has for Sunwoo(善友), and based on what structure it unveils a good clue of Sunwoo(善友); and to reveal the structure of philosophical counselling treatment simultaneously. Thus, the researcher performed an "emotion experience program for 3 weeks, targeting 22 research subjects and collected the data of their experience. As for date analysis, a phenomenological analytic method of Colaizzi (1978), one of qualitative research methods was used. It was because the phenomenological analytic method of Colaizzi was suggested to derive common properties of whole research subjects rather than those of individual research subject, which could help develop the theories of philosophical counselling treatment. The finding of the analysis revealed the intrinsic structure of the phenomenon which the research subjects experienced through "an emotion experience program" was reborn as 'unfamiliarity and suspicion', 'burden', 'recognition of a method and a need', 'self-reflection', 'awareness of nature and the correct behavior', 'joy and pleasure', and 'rebirth as a valuable existence'. These were categorized to examine the structure of philosophical counselling treatment. The findings revealed the treatment went through the precesses: 'the start of learning and intentional guidance', 'reflection', 'enlightenment', 'Sugichiin(修己治人)', 'freedom', and 'transcendence. Considering the purpose of Confucian philosophy is living valuable life and the accomplishment of objectives is based on the transcendence, realizing preallotment and putting it into practice, the structure of emotion experience by the research subjects is appropriate for the purpose of Confucian philosophy and the process of objective accomplishment.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.141
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• pp.85-93
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• 2017

Confucian thought is a lot of influence on future generations. In addition to teaching human character accomplishments method, and many educational principles, and political Ideas. The particularly worthy of our attention, is guiding mankind to construct "optimistic attitude" to life. Roughly, Confucian recognized "heaven" is "the mother of all things" but also "given all natural instincts" and "determine the fate of mankind".At the same time, it is also root causes of the Confucian Thought. On the basis cognitive of "Heaven and human relations", Confucian to construct "Optimistic attitude" philosophy of life. First, Confucian teach peoples to understand that "the fate" is determined by "heaven". Then, all the people should follow Justice and truth to do their own thing real well. Finally, everyone should hold a good mood to face all results.This is the most wonderful life wisdom.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.32
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• pp.215-244
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• 2008

This article's aim is to criticise ontological physicallism, supervenience, and eliminativism on theory of mind-body relation, and to present Confucian theory of mind-body relation as an alternative. Confucianism on theory of mind-body relation. Ontological physicallism reduce 'the psycho' to 'the physical'. Therefore, Physicallism as theory of mind-body relation reduce mind to physical body. Mind-Body supervenience theory insists property co-variation and dependency of mind-body. Eliminative materialism is to eliminate 'the psycho'. But confucianists believe in reality of the human mind-heart & it's nature. Confucianism is to establish the mina-heart & it's nature as real. Confucianism can be an alternative of physicallism, supervenience, and eliminativism on theory of mind-body relation. And Confucian's opinion differs from theory of the substance and phenomenalism.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.105
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• pp.373-400
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• 2008

This essay is an analysis on Daoist deconstructivism and Confucian constructivism about music and language. (1) Daoist criticizes that the Confucian constructive music and language fail to describe original sounds and original facts of doing nothing (wuwei, 無爲). According to Daoist, music and language can be an instrument to describe true facts in the world. So Daoists try to attain a state of 'seeing things as things themselves (yiwuguanwu, 以物觀物)' by 'forgetting oneself (wangwo, 忘我).' (2) However Confucian music and language is a part of one's life. Confucians try to get truth, goodness, and beauty by exercising one's music and language. Confucian music is associated with political and moral development in society. The Confucian genres of poetry (shi, 詩), appealing letter (shu, 疏), declaring writing (biao, 表), record (ji, 記), and written words (ci, 詞) are processes of developing one's life. Further, Confucian rhetoric of 'Xing (興)' in writing poem shows that one's language can be developed in contexts of one's life. (3) Although music and language is associated with human subjective narratives as if Confucians say, diverse narratives of different subjectivity cannot appear in one's lives if all kinds of narrative is absorbed in Confucian absolute ideological slogan to devide things into good and bad. Accordingly, the Confucian view of music and language can develop diverse narratives when it does not show an inclination toward moral dichotomy preunderstood by Confucian ideology.

• The Korean Publising Journal, Monthly
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• s.280
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• pp.14-15
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• 2000

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.29
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• pp.179-202
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• 2010

In addition to the emphasis on filial piety ethics in everyday life, filial piety obtained a further significance in Confucianism which had the strong sense of ancestor worship. This paper focuses on filial piety as a mechanism of continuity within Confucianism and points out that it owed its development to its connection to agricultural culture. The sedentary life with less mobility forged a relative intimacy among people and filial piety was the actual expression of that kind of intimate affection. Yet, filial piety in Confucianism created a unique culture in terms that it not only stipulated material and emotional support for parents but also expected one's piety to the further ancestors through a memorial service and made its connection to the infinite posterity through sons. From the perspective of Confucianism that established filial piety at the turning point from life to death, the self existing in present was not an isolated self anymore. Yet, one can see another characteristic of Confucianism from that filial piety, based on blood bonds, could move beyond paternalism to broaden itself. It could be expanded to the care for strangers. The aged experience and wisdom through agricultural life begot the insight that the nature made its infinite connections with everything through circulation. As a stone thrown in a pond would enlarge its boundary by drawing larger and larger concentric circles, this thought enabled people to enlarge their affection to their parents to universal humanity. In this enlarged network, though it was natural to make distinctions between the closer and the farther, Confucianism sought to overcome it by establishing oneself upright. Confucianism emphasized the moral cultivation with its filial piety concept that contained the diachronic thought penetrating life and death and the broadened perspective relating everything around. In Confucianism, filial piety provided an important medium in forming a moral subject that penetrated life and death and related self and others. Inherent in it is the Confucius thought of continuity that searched for a paragon of a moral human being regardless of time and space.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.29
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• pp.125-152
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• 2010

The main purpose of this dissertation is a introductive proposal to reconstruct confucian moral principles. The most classical question in moral principles is : what is the good. In order to reconstruct confucian moral principles, this dissertation begin with question of what is the good in confucian moral principles. Confucianism believe in reality of the human good mind and good nature. Confucian the human good mind and good nature is comprised of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom(四德) is the origin of morality. Confucian's moral principles of human relationship is none other than conscientiousness and altruism. Conscientiousness is a principle of self-cultivation and self-revelation. As to altruism, confucious said, "the man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself", or "do not impose on others what you do not desire others to impose upon you." Altruism is rectified as a principle of reciprocity methodology of the making of whole kingdom peaceful in The Great Learning. Confucian golden rule(conscientiousness and altruism is equal to Kantian categorical imperative in The Fundamental principles of Metaphysics of Ethics. : Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law ... etc. Kant's three principles of moral philosophy(Categorical Imperatives) imply that the idea of universality, freedom, and the kingdom of ends. We contrast confucian moral principles with Kant's three principles of Categorical Imperatives. In conclusion, confucian moral principles implicate Kant's principle of universalizability and impartiality.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.31
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• pp.143-171
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• 2011

Confucius asserted that the most humane life is to realize the value of 'benevolence(仁) as a human Virtue(德). Mencius also concurred that Confucius's explication of the good life was right. Confucian human mind & it's nature is comprised of benevolence, righteousness(義), propriety(禮) and wisdom(智). Confucianism proposed that we have to approach to other man as benevolence(仁). Mencius discussed about 'Four Virtues(四德)', the essential goodness of human, confirmed by 'Four Clues (四端)' to talk about the possibility of realizing the good life and a good state. On the other hand, he devised Politics of benevolence(仁政)' as a practical tool for it. Confucianism consider a human beings as human relationship. Confucius said, "benevolence(仁) is to love all men, and wisdom to know all men"In generally, Profit(利) is subject to righteousness in Confucianism. Therefore, Confucius said, "When you see Profit, think about Righteousness "But Confucius understands that Profit is ground for the constitution of 'Good life', and 'good State.'In Confucianism, Human Virtue is the root, Wealth is the result. In a State Gain is not to be considered propriety, its propriety will be found in righteousness.