• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.23
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• pp.217-244
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• 2008

This research studied Minor Annotation of Elementary Learning("小學枝言") and Private Examination of Classic of the Mind("心經密驗") from the ethical perspective. Minor Annotation of Elementary Learning and Private Examination of Classic of the Mind are writings that play a role of bridge between Chinese classics(經學) and Theory of Statecraft(經世論). These two essays were written for the purpose of putting virtue into practice, which had been attained by studying Chinese classics, through a vehicle called Theory of Statecraft. If Minor Annotation of Elementary Learning called as a book of cultivation of outward morality or outward behavior, then Private Examination of Classic of the Mind is the book for cultivation of inward temperament. The 'practice' emphasized by Dasan through these two essays denotes ceaseless efforts toward goodness or virtue. Such efforts can be interpreted as 'ethical practice', if looked at from the perspective of aggressive struggle toward virtue. Dasan, in these two essays, had stressed to practice Good(善) through positive and lively actions. The matter of Good and Bad(善惡) in humans is not associated with their mind, but related to their practice. That is to say, humans may turn out to be good through means of 'ethical practice'. For Dasan, 'ethical practice' toward Good should have to be continued and upheld not only in the course of self-cultivation, but also in 'establishing relationship' with others. Such an assertion of Dasan was to lay emphasis on accomplishment of 'ethical practice' toward Good amid close relationship between personal and social ethics. Also, Dasan had emphasized free will(自由意志) in humans. This means that Good and Bad will be determined according to humans' free will, and to the same extent, that humans are responsible for its consequence. It is noted that Dasan had stressed that any human having free will should have to be a 'man of virtue'(君子) through means of 'ethical practice'.