• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.35
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• pp.335-359
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• 2012

The Mencius's saint is not a rational being but a being of real world. He thought that all mankind have the goodness, and if we complete it, we can become a 'saint' like the 'King Yao' or the 'King Shun'. And he maintained that to complete the goodness, we must understand what the goodness is. He has divided this knowledge into the innate phase and the acquired phase, and then insisted that mankind can be a saint by the both of them. Also, Mencius suggested that we can be saint by the preservation of goodness('Ren & Li'). To bring up the goodness, we're not supposed to be inclined to a material desire, we're asked a mental training of 'Si chemg' reflecting on them-self. It is a 'Dao' of the mankind. When it completes, mankind will commune(communicate) with nature. This paper focused the Saint notion of Mencius, especially the mental training of Saint & the social realization.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.43
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• pp.107-139
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• 2014

Tasan Chong Yak-yong has criticized Zhu Xi's metaphysical viewpoints of human being. Therefore he revealed his viewpoint of human being and the theory of moral practice through his thoughts about the Lord of Heaven and human nature with spiritual inclination toward goodness. He has drawn the Lord of Heaven into Confucianism again. Heaven as the Lord endows human being with a nature that enjoys virtues and detests vices. It watches human being's good and evil. Here we can say Heaven is a outer efficient cause of moral behavior. According to Tasan, human being has its own 'self directed weight'自主之權 so that he can make a judgment and decision about what to do. Therefore we have to do manifest this moral inclination which is a inner efficient cause of moral behavior. That is to say, we must follow the order of daoxin道心 inside our mind. If we did go against it, our mind would be uncomfortable. Now through the method of so-called shu恕 we need to put filial piety孝 fraternal respect弟 compassion慈 into practice. These three moral practices represent the spirit of reciprocity in Confucianism. These lead us to make an achievement of ren仁, representative virtue in the theory of moral practice. Our moral practice means the fulfillment of humanity. This is the way to serve Heaven. Tasan insists that theses are the core thoughts of Confucius and Mencius.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.42
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• pp.233-258
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• 2014

This article investigates the concept of the xing(性) used by Hu Hong. Hu Hong's philosophical system considered to top priority for xing is called xingbunlun(性本論), and he suggested the characteristics of xing as follows. First, Hu Hong regarded xing as the fundamental of whole world and related to the specific individual things, so he constructed the concept of xing in the perspective of ontology. Namely while xing is ti(體) the root of all the world, it is the realization of the uniqueness of the individual things. Also he considered xing which of the ontological aspect developed various psychological aspect contained xin (心), qing(情), yu(欲), etc. Seond, As Hu Hong regulated that wei fa(未發) is xing and yi fa(已發) is xin, he defined the ideal relation between xing and xin as xingtixinyong(性體心用). And he considered that the sage and the ordinary peoples are equal in the xing's aspect of wei fa, but they are not equal in ability of the xin in the aspect of wei fa. Hu Hong thought that the only sage realized the ideal relation between xing and xin in this world, because he keep his mind silent. So Hu Hong suggested the possibility of moral cultivation to the ordinary peoples, expressing that human nature realized the function of the mind(成性), in order that they realized ideal relation by following ren(仁). Third, unlike the traditional notion, Hu Hong understood the meaning of xing in the aspect of ontology. He interpreted the shan(善) of xingshan(性善) as the meaning of exclamation, which implied that "the innate goodness of human nature(性善)" meant "Human nature is good." Because Hu Hong thought that the meaning of xing transcended the relative concept of good and evil, and accepted the whole world affirmatively. In the opinion of Hu Hong, as the concept of xing had two ways of intentionality; likes and dislikes(好惡), things formed relationship with other in this world. Then the concept of good and evil of the ethical value judgement occurred.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.42
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• pp.259-294
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• 2014

The key concept of political thoughts of Confucianism is 'Tian(天)=the Heaven' and 'Ren(人)=the Human being'. In particular, the meaning of 'the Heaven(天)' is profoundly exclusive in Confucianism in comparison to the other concepts. It is because that 'the Heaven' is connected with 'Ri(理)' which explains the human being and the heaven metaphysically, and the discussions about those concepts have also been widening to the political field. And if the concept of 'the Heaven's nature(天命)' is excluded, it is difficult for us to discuss the essence of political thought of Confucianism. This paper argued how the politicalization of 'the Heaven' which was private dimension of monarch in the strict sense, changed to the public dimension of people in Japan in the early 18th century through some theories of the two famous philosopher, Ito-Jinsai(伊藤仁齋) and Ogyu-Sorai(荻生?徠) who belonged to the 'Kogakuha(古學派)'. The doctrines of Chu-tzu(朱子學) has hold absolute authority over the history of the oriental political thoughts. But the authority have gone through the stage of disorganization in a unique space called Eto(江戶) era of Japan. Therefore, the interpretations and concept establishments in a new dimension are naturally formed in that periods about 'Min(民)=People'. Based on discussions like this, the purpose of this paper is to study how those movements are emerged in what kinds of thinking and debating process. In part of Ito-Jinsai, this paper have reconsidered the concept of 'People' which Jinsai had thought and examined closely with critical mind about 'In(仁)=Mercy'. In case of Ogyu-Sorai, this paper have argued his political theory of 'the welfare of the people in the nation(安民天下)', in clarifying with the concept of 'the Roads of the Saint(先王의 道)' and the meaning about his declaration that "the Six Scripture(六經) is things(物)". The meaning of political view of this two philosopher is in the point to suggest some kinds of cure for problems of those days with the former days values. In the Jinsai's doctrine, that cure is 'the realization of the rule of right(王道)' based on new interpretation of 'Mersy'. And in case of Sorai, that is a form of independence of politics from morality based on 'the Roads of the Saint'.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.62
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• pp.177-207
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• 2016

This essay is dealing with Yang-Ming Studies' fundamental ideas, which are the goal of learning, the cultivation theory, and the ultimate goal in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue. The first, what is the goal of learning in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue: It is generally accepted idea that the goal of learning in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue is to be a sage. But there are different suggestions about the ideas above. The reason is like this: Zhu-Zi-Studies was eager to be a sage through its cultivation theory. Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue criticized the cultivation theory in Zhu-Zi-Studies. Therefore, some people don't agree with the idea that the goal of learning in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue is to be a sage. In this essay, I try to demonstrate that the goal of learning in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue is to be a sage. The second, What is the major cultivation theory in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue: The core cultivation theory is the Zhi-Ling-Zhi(Fulfillment Innate Knowledge of Goodness). For this, there is no question, but it is difficult how to learn and practice Zhi-Ling-Zhi in the daily life. I try to explain the right meaning and practice over Zhi-Ling-Zhi. The third, what is the ultimate goal in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue: It is general method in examine Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue that is comparing with Zhu-Zi-Studies. So there is a natural tendency focusing on the differences and similarity between Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue and Zhu-Zi-Studies. But If I say, what is the ultimate goal in Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue? That is the realization of Ren, Which is the harmony with all things in heaven and earth.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.53
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• pp.63-100
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• 2017

In this article, I researched Nam Dae-nyeon's(1887~1958) thought of Neo-confucian theories, interpretation of confucian canons, and evaluation of historical figures. First, from the side of Neo-confucian theories, he asserted that Qi(氣) had behaviors and Li(理) had not. About his teacher Jeon Wu's(田愚) theories, he thought that those were in tradition of Confucius(孔子) and Mencius(孟子), but not emphasized presidence of mind. And he criticized the theory of mind was Li(理). Second, from the side of interpretation of Confucian canons, Nam Dae-nyeon's study centered on Four Books(四書). This showed he was in tradition of Neo-confucianism. Through this studies he emphasized the importance of Confucian Ren(仁) and Filial piety(孝), self-consciousness as gentry(士). Third, from the side of evaluation of historical figures, Nam Dae-nyeon evaluated many Chinese and Korean scholars, for example, Qu Yuan(屈原), Lu Zhong-lian(魯仲連), Zhen De-xiu(眞德秀), Lu Long-qi((陸?其), Zhang Lu-xiang (張履祥) of China, and Jeong Mong-ju(鄭夢周), Zho Kwang-jo(趙光祖), Yi Hwang(李滉), Yi Yi(李珥), Jeon Wu(田愚) of Korea. And his criteria for evaluation of historical figures was fidelity and insight.