• Lingua Humanitatis
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• v.8
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• pp.11-38
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• 2006

Laotzu's view of language is well expressed at the beginning stanza of "道可道 非常道" of Tao De Ching, the interpretation of which is pivotal for the proper interpretation of the entire text. Two lines of interpretation of this stanza have been proposed; The first view regards the letter "道" in "非常道" as representing that which is signified by a sign. The other takes the posture that the letter "道" is itself the signifier of the sign. I argue in this article that the second posture should be taken to interpret Tao De Ching properly, contrary to the traditional interpretation of this stanza, by pointing out the verses which inevitably contradict each other when interpreted according to the first view. The second view leads to the conclusion that everyday language is not sufficient enough to describe the supernatural beings, including Tao, accurately, and seeks a way to augment ordinary language for appropriate description of such supernatural beings. The strategy Laotzu adopts in Tao De Ching is to expand the expressive power of ordinary language by extensive use of metaphors. This paper discerns 4 conceptual metaphors in the sense of Johnson and Lakoff(1980) which underlie the metaphors used in Tao De Ching: (1) Tao is Void; (2) Tao is Mother; (3) Tao is Valley; and (4) Tao is Untrimmed Log.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1137-1141
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• 2005

This paper is written in order to investigate how Lee Je-Ma changed traditional Zhu Xi's philosophical view on Way(Tao; 道) Virtue(De: 德) Nature(Xing;性) and Imperative(Ming; 命), which was general concepts of his contemporary age, to practical philosophy and created new medical theories of Sasang(4 symbols) science from it. Lee emphasized the true thing which is able to be done in one's living not the concepts of Sasang. So he induced the concepts of Way and Virtue from the easy and simple way(易簡之道) in the Classic of Changes(I'Ching) for the purpose of practice by anyone. Because Nature and Imperative are derived from Way and Virtue in the context logically, human life is virtual in itself, so the substance of Nature and Imperative became equal with Way and Virtue. Herein the names and concepts of original 'Sasang' were substituted to Business(事), Mind(心), Body(身), Thing(物) which is able to be directly related with human being in his daily life. And he explained variously about the responses of Mind and Body of individuals onto Business and Thing. So it could be applied in medical aspects like emotional, symptomatical, characteristic features. Conclusively man is virtual being, so Nature and Imperative in the level of Human being are based on Way and Virtue in the level of Heaven. For that reason the new concepts of Sasang Business. Mind. Body Thing or Heaven. Human. Nature and Imperative were proposed.