• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.37
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• pp.97-134
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• 2013

Kim Ee-man was born and grew up in Jecheon (堤川). As a government officer and a Confucian scholar belonging to Namin School, Kim Ee-man was active in the early and middle of 18th century. Kim Ee-man composed good poems since he was a child. In addition to being a good poet, Kim Ee-man later became a model government officer, who had thorough awareness on serving citizens (爲民). When he was a governor in Yangsan (梁山) county, he built an embankment for farmers by out of his own salary. The academic world of Kim Ee-man faithfully succeeded the basis of Toegyehak (退溪學) and he took Sohak (小學) as important. The reason of Kim Ee-man having established a practical guideline in the form of inscription and proverbs was also directly related to the issue of moral practice. Kim Ee-man also received the influence of ancient classic study from his teacher Lee Seo-woo (李瑞雨) and took Yookgyeong (六經, Six Classics in China) important in practice. Kim Ee-man started the study on Joojahak (朱子學, the doctrines of Chu-tzu) in later years. He became more thorough in being a public figure while reinforcing effort on differentiating the principle of heaven (天理) and human desire (人欲).