• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.27
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• pp.201-243
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• 2016

This paper analyzes the research trends from 358 scholarly articles published in the Journal of Daesoon Academy of Sciences from the first published journal in 1996 to the most recent journal published on the 25^th of 2015 and proposes ideas for improvement. First of all, "The Journal of Daesoon Academy of Sciences" does not meet the standards required by the National Research Foundation, falling short of the most important conditions for the registration such as the periodicity and punctuality expected from academic journals. Furthermore, in terms of the Bibliometrical analysis, the number of articles published by the journal is decreasing and the consistency, with regards to rules and principles regulating publication details and bibliography formats, is nonexistent. Although various authors seemed to be meeting these criteria on the surface, the ratio of co-authored articles is too small. Securing researchers specializing in Daesoon Thought for expanding the size of the journal is important, but it is also important to diversify the research topics through exchanging ideas among researchers from various organizations. Here are some ideas for the improvement of the Journal of Daesoon Academy of Sciences: First, in order to meet the standards for punctuality and periodicity, it would be best to publish the journal twice a year with 12 to 15 articles. Second, the journal must become searchable through the creation of a database. Third, the key words and abstracts of articles must be written in Korean and English to facilitate the sharing of articles among researchers. Fourth, the journal must have a diverse and outstanding editorial board which takes into account the geographical situations of its board members. Fifth, the Journal must include articles on relevant topics that reflect the core topics of the Daesoon Thought and other studies. Sixth, articles must have a front page that contains bibliographical items to convey information to the reader. Seventh, it is essential that the journal have a clear publication date detailing the year, month, and day as well as a standard numbering scheme (i.e, Vol. and no).

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.63-90
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• 2019

In pluralistic political realities that have been exposed as antagonistic relationships between self and others, the principle of 'Coincidentia Oppositorum' in Daesoon Thought emphasizes the complementarity between self and others and presents us with a new form of cognition and attitude which can overcome pluralistic political realities. Though solipsism that objectificates others on the basis of the self, the principle of 'Coincidentia Oppositorum' presents us a new form of cognition and attitude with which we can approach others. The principle of 'Coincidentia Oppositorum' is based on the logic that we can secure and extend ourselves only in relation between self and others. Self is not fully formed or perfected without others. Previous discussions on the principle of 'Coincidentia Oppositorum' as it is exists within Daesoon Thought have been limited to Eastern Philosophy. On one hand, this inclination may be due to a narrow understanding of Western Philosophy. The flow of Modern Western Philosophy can at times be a self-reflective output for solipsism. On the other hand, the understanding of the principle of 'Coincidentia Oppositorum in context of a dualistic contrast between Eastern Philosophy and Western Philosophy is not concordant with the principle of 'Coincidentia Oppositorum' which emphasizes the creation of harmony between self and others. This paper aims to investigate avenues to create harmony between Eastern Philosophy and Western Philosophy regarding the principle of 'Coincidentia Oppositorum' in Daesoon Thought. Specifically, attention will be paid to 'flesh' as used by Merleau-Ponty. In his writings, flesh is the matrix which activates the fundamental involvement between self and others. Self is a being of flesh and an ambiguous being which is formed in a double position (seeing and being seen). Flesh can secure and extend the self only through its relationship to an other or multiple others. Restoring the other that has been excluded from modern Western Philosophy, Merleau-Ponty's flesh call for contemplation into the meaning of the other and of otherness.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.319-349
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• 2019

This study aims to elucidate the origin and yield of life and its characteristics and purpose in Daesoon Thought. Thereby, Taegeuk (the Great Ultimate) and Sangje (the Supreme God) have been deemed the source and ontology of life. The structure of each living creature is explained through reason (理), energy (氣) and spirit (神). In addition, through vital reason and living energy, the purpose of life makes the realization of the benevolent characteristics of life possible through the mind of Sangje. This line of research is unique among currently available research views of life as it perceives the spirit to be an ontological entity with functions and interactive engagement. By way of contrast, prior research suggests that spirit is life itself and includes it in the category of life and death. The Daesoon view of life is unique in that it is somewhat influenced by ontology and developmental theories from Confucianism, yet the concept of divine beings suggests a humanistic Sangje, who presides over the Great Ultimate. The realization of reason in this model is rather thought-provoking. Humans, just like other living things, are born with vital essence and function and interact as a main source to preside over the innate spirits inside themselves. Humans take responsibility for a certain sphere in the Three Realms that make up the world. They are also recognized as a significant feature in the world. Such an idea in Daesoon Thought depicts that 'the enshrinement of spirit into human being (神封於人),' follows Heaven and Earth. This is done to rectify humans in order to meet the needs of the universe and ultimately establish the era of the enshrinement of spirits into human beings. As for humanity, this possibility exists because of the spirits contained within their inner-selves. When cultivating oneself, humans and outer spirits actively interact with each other. This is likely to cause changes in a human's constitution and characteristics. In the end, one can be enshrined with corresponding divine beings according to one's degree of cultivation. Humans are born through the command of Sangje and the accomplishments of their ancestors as well as the energy of the universe. Present day humans encounter the era of human nobility and the era of humankind's divine salvation. Thereby, the purpose of human life is to contribute to the universe. To achieve this goal, the most important thing is to wholly realize that one's nature and reason were endowed by Heaven, which emerged from virtuous conduct in society. This is also akin to the movement of reason in Jeungsanist Thought. Sangsaeng (mutual beneficence) among oneself and others and between human beings and divine beings can be completed through the resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence and the grateful reciprocation of favors for mutual beneficence. If one accomplishes the perfected state of one's own nature and reveals it wholly, then one will be fully able to interact with spirits and reach the state of the human nobility.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.28
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• pp.37-72
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• 2017

The purpose of this article is to study the prospect of implementing a public common practice of ethics based on the 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth.' The 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' demonstrated the prospect of a public common practice of ethics through the shared public action that would connect and mediate both the public domain and the private domain. In addition, the 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' of Gucheon Sangje (九天上帝) provided us with a complete transformation, meaning the opening of a new era, transforming heaven and earth from their state in the Prior World to their optimized state in the Later World. This culminates in a new manifestation of a peaceful world revealed a prosperity and the prospect of common happiness and common order for the public. In addition, the 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' has a public value as a religious culture that responds to social change and social needs. The 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' revealed the prospect of a public common practice of ethics, placed importance on creating a new foundation, and restoring phenomena back to its original order. The 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' presented various multi-faceted, multi-layered outlets of soteriology while exploring solutions to public issues and revealing human dignity. Through the new construction of Heaven and Earth, Gucheon Sangje had intervened in projects for human relief. The public ethical indicators of 'the actor' here are in line with those of the 'Non-action Tao' of Laozi. As the cosmos enters into the new epoch, humans have living together with the previous cosmic principle. Now we can expect the Prior World to open into a different era as humans embrace a cosmic life of 'Non-action Tao.' The active conjunction of the virtues of yin and yang is an idea of horizontal communication related to reordering of the universe. The harmonious union of divine beings and human beings suggests the way of enabling vertical communication. The resolution of grievances for the mutual beneficence of life is an ethics of peace that aims at achieving coexistence and prosperity. The private realization of Tao and the completion of the Tao in the world suggest the prospect of a common practice of ethics as means of implementing human dignity.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.28
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• pp.103-131
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• 2017

As the establishment of self-identity is based on 'Relationships of Mutual Beneficence,' the formation of 'Relationships of Mutual Beneficence' is the only road to the security and confirmation of self-existence. But given that our ordinary life almost entirely consists of actions objectifying others, the formation of 'Relationships of Mutual Beneficence' is by no means easy. The formation of 'Relationships of Mutual Beneficence' should be based on morality, controlling self-desire, and not objectifying others. Philosophy based on a priori reasoning describes self-control over selfdesire as the domination of the body through a priori reasoning. But this practical philosophy cannot present a self-evidential internal motivation behind moral actions. Due to this, the application of moral order given by a priori reasoning in response to reality is likely to be reinterpreted on basis of self-interest. With regards to this, the 'propensity towards sympathy' is given as new moral norm. The 'propensity towards sympathy' as emotion is direct and consistent given that feeling occurs prior to thinking. The 'propensity towards sympathy' is intuitive in the sense that it is an instinctual response preceeding a reasoned judgment. The 'propensity towards sympathy,' as a natural moral emotion, is self-validating given that all human beings know it and practice it. But previous studies on the 'propensity towards sympathy' have an obvious limitation because they adopt phenomenological approaches to the 'propensity towards sympathy' which eschew the investigation of morality. Though they present the 'propensity towards sympathy' as a natural emotion based on body rather than reason, they do not philosophically explain the 'propensity towards sympathy.' Thus the 'propensity towards sympathy' as a natural moral emotion is likely to be interpreted as a subjective and relative moral norm. This paper philosophically explains that the 'propensity towards sympathy' is a universal moral norm on the basis of Merleau-Ponty's 'flesh.' 'Flesh' is formed as the entanglement between oneself and others and presents the 'propensity towards sympathy' as its philosophical basis. In other words, 'flesh' formed as the mixture or entanglement between oneself and others is the material foundation upon which one can activate the 'propensity towards sympathy.' This paper's approach to the 'propensity of sympathy' can be desribed as a phenomenological approach to the 'propensity towards sympathy' as a universal moral norm.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.27
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• pp.283-317
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• 2016

This research is an attempt to detail the multi-layered ethical characteristics of 'mutual beneficence', shown in the principle of 'guarding against self-deception' in Daesoon Thought while focusing on its major differences as well as the similarities with Kantian and Utilitarian ethical views. In these Western ethical perspectives, the concept of self-deception has received a considerable amount of attention, centering on the context of natural rights and contract theory. Meanwhile, in Daesoon Thought, 'guarding against self-deception' is presented as one of the principal objectives as well as the method or deontological ground for practice. It further encompasses the features of virtue ethics oriented toward the perfection of Dao. Here, the deontological aspect is interlinked with the concept of cultivation and the pursuit of ethics and morals. Hence this makes it a necessary condition for achieving the perfection of Dao, and likewise renders the practice of 'guarding against self-deception' more active through facilitating mutual relations based on the expansion model wherein human nature is characterized as possessing innate goodness. With regard to the tenet of 'resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence,' this concept is presented as a positive ground for practicing virtues toward others without forming grudges. Furthermore, as long as it reveals the great principle of humanity built on conscience, it will come to harmonize practitioners with others and spirits in an expression of beneficence. Moreover, originating in the Dao of Deities, guarding against self-deception is expressed as a form of life ethics and can be suggested as a new alternative for the model of virtue ethics proposed by Nussbaum. All in all, there is a natural causal relationship by which 'guarding against self-deception' in accord one's own conscience and the principle of humanity as a pursuit of perfect virtues in Dao result in the fulfillment of mutual beneficence. This readily akin to how gravity causes water to flow from high ground to low ground. Consequently, these relational features of mutual beneficence can serve an effective alternative to the Western ethical views which also address the need to overcome the egoistic mind which is liable to self-interest and alienation.