• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• no.122
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• pp.1-23
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• 2018

In the final argument for the immortality of the soul in the Phaedo, Socrates establishes a new type of cause which he describes as 'more sophisticated' and on the basis of it attempts to show that the soul is immortal. In the process, he introduces three examples for the cause, i.e. three, fire, and snow. But there has been considerable controversy over the ontological status of the three and the soul. Some scholars think that they are all forms; others believe that neither of them is. In this paper I argue that in fact one of them is a form, while the others are not. I also argue that the fact that they do not have the same ontological status and the uncertainty in the nature of the soul itself weaken the cogency of the final argument as a whole.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.17
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• pp.135-149
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• 2004

Socrates did not found a religion, and in this sense he is different from Confucius, Buddha and Jesus. So there can be no 'Socrates' religion'. But if we can assume that there are evidently religious aspects in his thought, and if it can become a religion by expanding these aspects, then we may conclude that 'Socratic religion' is possible. In general, there are three arguments to regard Socrates as a religious person. The first is to see him as a precursor of Christianity or a Christian martyr, the second is to regard Socrates' daimonion as identical with Christian revelation, and the third is to argue that Socrates was a religious person because of his firm belief in the immortality of soul. But in this paper, I argue that these three arguments offer some justifications but insufficient to conclude that he was a religious person. Shall we conclude then that not only Socratic religion is impossible but also he was not a religious person? I do not think so. For there are two counter arguments. Religious truths have at least two essential characteristics. First, those who have religious truths are absolutely happy, no matter what. This is why Socrates as a religious person could advise his disciples to improve their souls even at the time of his death bed. Second, those who have religious truths do love others, no matter what. How could it be possible for someone to love invisible ultimate reality if he did not love visible brothers? This is why Socrates as a religious person took his mission to philosophize as a divine command. Socrates did not initiate any official religion, but he was truly a devout religious person, who transcended the boundary of institutionalized religion. It follows that Socratic religion is evidently possible.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.45
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• pp.1-35
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• 2023

This study aims at determining the meaning of Life in The Canonical Scripture of the Daesoon Thought upon the ontological bases of occidental philosophies; especially upon those of Plato and Bergson. In western philosophy, the word ontology designates investigating the meanings of being, which is derived from the Greek 'onto (being)' and 'logia (logical discourse).' The various meanings of life have been sought from ancient times all over the world, for these are the critical and vital questions that pertain to the nature of human existence. Plato had asserted that life, in his word, soul, had three different kinds of aspects of meaning. Immortal, reciprocal, and divine. Plato scheme was such that the soul could die, but after death it could became reborn into another various forms of living creatures. The real inner life of humans, the soul, would live eternally. Henri-Louis Bergson, a famous French philosopher from the 20^th century, claimed that life had three different kinds of aspects. Self-identity, Élan vital (vital impetus) and liberty. Bergson insisted especially the real meaning of life had been characterized by "unité multiple et multiplicitéune," "unity as something multiple and multiplicity something singular." The meaning of life in Daesoon Thought could be said to have three different characteristics, solidarity, earthly immortality and grievance-resolution. Some similarities can be found between certain western ontological meanings of life and those of Daesoon Thought. Namely, the qualities of eternity, reciprocity, and divinity.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

There are various understandings how to define death. In the context of medicine, death is defined as the irreversible change of the tissue according to the cessation of circulation and respiration. According to the psychologists, a person need to accept the finiteness as a human being and remain conscious that the death is not avoidable. And they say if a person doesn't regard death as unavoidable reality of life he or she will not confront the humanistic death and after all will die like animals. In philosophy, death is viewed as an unwelcome reality in the end of the journey of life. Sociologists usually understand that the society is the organization composed with living persons and human beings which construct and transmit the culture from generation to generation between the both ends of life and death. In society, the generation is changed, maintained, and developed through the phenomenon of death. Although death of human being is natural event in society, the death of a specific person brings a sense of loss, crisis, and anxiety to the communities like family, regional society, nation, and the world. In this context, death is not confined to personal dimension and it can be regarded as a social problem. It is valuable to summarize the religious perspectives on the meaning of death for the better hospice care. In shamanism, there are basic idea that although the flesh of human being disappears, soul never die. If human dies, the flesh of human being disappears but soul never disappear and come back to the origin of soul as it is called chaos. So in shamanism, it is said that shaman can solve the mortified feeling, restore the broken harmony, send the soul to comfortable space- the origin, and guarantee the blessing of descendents. Buddhists regard the death as an essential component through the cycles of life. Through this cycle, human being exits as an endlessly transmigrating being and the death is just a restoration to the original status. In Confucianism, the view on the death based on the philosophy of the "Yin and Yang" and "Five elements". In Buddhist tradition, many believers said the philosophy of "Death is the same as life". Unlike usual thoughts that a god governs "life and death" and "fortune and misfortune", Confucianists deny the governance of a god and emphasize the natural orders in which every phenomenon in the world moves according to the principle. Confucianists understand the death as a natural order with this principle. In Confucianists' belief, the essence of human being remains in their own descendent's lives after the death of ancestor, so in Confucianism there is no concept of immortality of the soul. In the history of Christianity, death has been defined generally as the separation of the immortal soul from the mortal body. In the earlier days of Old Testament, the death is regarded as a disappearance of just a flesh and human never disappear and always live in the relationship with God. Later days in Old Testament, we can find the growing concern for the life after the death because of the entrance of the theodicy. In the New Testament, the death is not regarded as the normal process of the human life and regarded as the abnormal status in which death come to human because of sin as a decisive factor and it should be conquered. In fact, the most of us afraid death because not of the fear of death itself but of the sense of the emptiness and regrets. so many people often make the monument hoping to live forever. But Christian usually regard this behavior as a sinful act because human being usually think themselves as a master of their life and attempt to become immortal in this kind of trial mortal. But if we live with God, we cannot confront such a condition because we aware limits as a mortal human being and entrust everything on Him and want to live according to His guidance. Therefore, in the Christian tradition, the death is regarded as accomplishment of life, fruits of life, invitation to the eternal life, and the last stage of human growth. For human being, the death is the great step of maturation as a human in the final stage of life.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.50-57
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• 1999

Folk belief, which originated with the rise of human existence is a fundamental and comprehensive mode of living that reflects sociocultural conditions. Adherents of folk belief accept a certain thing to be true and real without scientific authority and absolute certainty. Taboo can be seen as a king of folk belief. The object of this study is to examine the taboos in relation to the manufacturing process and the quality of the shroud and to shrouding customs. I will also try to find out the meaning and significance in this. Through this task, I hope to contribute to the enhanced understanding of the cultural characteristics, the spiritual life, and the views on after life of the Korean people. In Korea, it is considered to be propitious to prepare the shroud on the intercalary month of the leap year , as it allows one to enjoy longevity healthy and sound. Moreover, as this belief gives credence and repose while preparing for the “final departure”, this custom is relatively well observed. From the taboo concerning leap months, we infer that death as viewed as a commencement of a new life, which reveals a positive view on afterlife. This can be seen as a return to the origin of anti-universal space in this “bonus” month of anti-universal time. Taboos on the manufacturing process of the shroud is related to the belief that it allows the deceased to go the nest world without any hesistation or disturbances. This symbolizes the immortality of the human soul: I. e. that the human spirit does not end in this world but continues on to the next. Taboos concerning the preparation process of the shroud as well as various other taboos are related to the belief that preparation for the shroud should be done in sincerity and secredness with a thoughtful consideration for the deceased. This can be perceived as an implication to sanctity for the dead.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.56-69
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• 2011

A Gamsil is an ritual instrument which enshrine the ancestral tablets of four lines from late great-great-grandfather and grandmother to late father and mother. This has their soul. Juja's "Garye" informs its structure pattern. It is placed in Sadang and takes the form of a perfectly square box. It partitions four rooms and enshrine an ancestral tablet room by room. They get the ancestral tablets line up from west to east. And they also enshrine the ancestral tablets without his descendant together in Gamsil. A Gamsil is a space to enshrine the ancestral tablets and to place an order within a family. A social status and A family economic power become a standard in making and managing Sadang. Kingdom in Joseon period limited the ancestral tablets considering of his degree of official rank which descendant enshrined. A official servant can be stable economically in getting a stipend and build sadang in the house. While household a little in economic enshrine the ancestral tablets at a Gamsil placed at the a space of private home. His personal circumstances make size and pattern, place change in relation to Gamsil. A Gamsil looks like house in structure and pattern. It has the immortality of the soul. And it changed from a table size to a ancestral tablet size. This Gamsil is comfortable to move and is made considering of the width and height of household. The transition of Gamsil means institutions is in close to a family economic power in social change. Kingdom in Joseon early period makes a policy of a Gamyo's build and an ancestral enshrine in basement of Juja's "Garye". The transition of Gamsil gave a common people limitted socially and institutionally the service of late four lines. Most of people enshrine the ancestral tablets of their four lines in approaching of in the late of Joseon Dinasty. They compromise on their reality and cause. The transition of Gamsil implied many different things in social ; the authenticity search and a dignity expression of his family, the foundation for the diffusion of an ancestral service, a space sharing with ancestor and descendent, the increment of a family economic power etc.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.147
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• pp.117-146
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• 2018

This paper discusses, whether religion is possible even in the age of artificial intelligence, and whether humans alone are the subject of religious faith or ultra intelligent machines with human minds can be also subjects of faith. In order for ultra intelligent machines to be subjects of faith in the same conditions as humans, they must be able to have unique characteristics such as emotion, will, and self-consciousness. With the advent of ultra intelligent machines with the same level of cognitive and emotional abilities as human beings, the religious actions of artificial intelligence will be inevitable. The ultra intelligent machines after 'singularity' will go beyond the subject of religious belief and reign as God who can rule humans, nature and the world. This is also the common view of Morabeck, Kurzweil and Harari. Leonhart also reminds us that technological advances should make us used to the fact that we are now 'gods'. But we fear we may face distopia despite the general affluence of the 'Star Trec' economy. For this reason, even if a man says he has learned the religious truth, one can't help but wonder if it is true. Kant and Bloch are thinkers who critically reflected on our religious ideals and highest concept in different world-view premises. Kant's concept of God as 'idea of pure reason' and 'postulate of practical reason', can seem like a 'god of gap' as Jesse Bering said earlier. Kant recognized the need for religious faith only on a strict basis of moral necessity. The subjects of religious faith should always strive to do the moral good, but such efforts themselves were not enough to reach perfection and so postulated immortality of the soul. But if an ultra intelligent machines that has emerged above a singularity is given a new status in an intellectual explosion, it can reach its morality by blocking evil tendencies and by the infinite evolution of super intelligence. So it will no longer need Kant's 'Postulate for continuous progress towards greater goodness', 'Postulate for divine grace' and 'Postulate for infinite expansion of the kingdom of God on earth.' Artificial intelligence robots would not necessarily consider religious performance in the Kant's meaning, and therefore religion will also have to be abolished. Ernst Bloch transforms Kant's postulate to be Persian dualism. Therefore, in Bloch, even though the ultra intelligent machines is a divine being, one must critically ask whether it is a wicked or a good God. Artificial intelligence experts warn that ultra intellectual machine as Pandora's gift will bring disaster to mankind. In the Kant's Matrix, a ultra intelligent machines, which is the completion of morality and God itself, may fall into a bad god in Bloch's Matrix. Therefore, despite the myth of singularity, we still believe that ultra intelligent machines, whether as God leads us to the completion of one of our only religious beliefs, or as bad god to the collapse of mankind through complete denial of existence.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• no.96
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• pp.39-70
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• 2012

In order to locate Kant's concept of the highest good within ethics and the theory of moral religion, it needs to be approached with some qualifications: there are two rough ways to be suggested. The first way is to focus on the concept of the highest good that is explained in terms of the happiness in proportion to a rational being's virtue or to his/her worthiness to be happy. But the happiness determined in the sense outlined above would be (increasingly or decreasingly) changeable according to each one's individual morality-this is what is meant by each one's 'worthiness' here-, and would not be seen as the perfect one. It might even be said that this kind of happiness is possible in a sensible world generally taken, if the existence of God thought of as harmonizing natural phenomena and the moral order is successfully presupposed. The other way is to understand the concept of the highest good literally: in this view, the highest good shows that a rational being's character is completely appropriate to the moral law and for him/her, its corresponding idea, i.e., the perfect happiness, is considered with full justification. But the highest good in the sense sketched above-along with the existence of God and the immortality of the soul-is expected to be realized only in an intelligible world generally taken. This means that it should be appraised as an ideal of the highest good that includes the so-called 'physical happiness' specified in terms of the first way as its element. In this regard, it is seen to be somewhat restricted. Between the two concepts of the highest good already touched upon, the highest good of the possible world would be the one established in terms of the first way. In other words, it is not the highest good in an intelligible world, but the highest good in this world. Of course, it is true that we cannot help but assume the existence of God-a being as higher, as moral, as most holy, and as omnipotent-in order to explain the highest good in this world (namely, in order to establish the possibility of the combination of the happiness and the worthiness). For as long as both morally good acts and the happiness are considered to happen in a natural world, the cause of the nature (i.e., the existence of its creator), that is, God, must be able to be presupposed. In this vein, Kant interprets that most people view that the key of the Bible is to show that the best world which is characterized by an intelligible or heavenly kingdom is also actually feasible in this world. The wish of the people who have the morally good character is that God's kingdom comes and his will is properly achieved in this world. But we cannot know what God really does in order to realize his world in this world. Nonetheless, we are fully aware of what we should do in order to make ourselves a member of his world. It is specified like this: we should do our ethical duties and further proceed to establish an ethical community. Viewed this manner, it is concluded that an ethical community is not a merely ideal thing like the kingdom of the ends, but a human apparatus or institution that exists in this world.