• Title/Summary/Keyword: theories of human nature and the nature of things

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Views on Life and Humanity in Daesoon Thought (대순사상의 생명관과 인생관)

  • Choi, Chi-bong
    • Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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    • v.33
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    • pp.319-349
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    • 2019
  • This study aims to elucidate the origin and yield of life and its characteristics and purpose in Daesoon Thought. Thereby, Taegeuk (the Great Ultimate) and Sangje (the Supreme God) have been deemed the source and ontology of life. The structure of each living creature is explained through reason (理), energy (氣) and spirit (神). In addition, through vital reason and living energy, the purpose of life makes the realization of the benevolent characteristics of life possible through the mind of Sangje. This line of research is unique among currently available research views of life as it perceives the spirit to be an ontological entity with functions and interactive engagement. By way of contrast, prior research suggests that spirit is life itself and includes it in the category of life and death. The Daesoon view of life is unique in that it is somewhat influenced by ontology and developmental theories from Confucianism, yet the concept of divine beings suggests a humanistic Sangje, who presides over the Great Ultimate. The realization of reason in this model is rather thought-provoking. Humans, just like other living things, are born with vital essence and function and interact as a main source to preside over the innate spirits inside themselves. Humans take responsibility for a certain sphere in the Three Realms that make up the world. They are also recognized as a significant feature in the world. Such an idea in Daesoon Thought depicts that 'the enshrinement of spirit into human being (神封於人),' follows Heaven and Earth. This is done to rectify humans in order to meet the needs of the universe and ultimately establish the era of the enshrinement of spirits into human beings. As for humanity, this possibility exists because of the spirits contained within their inner-selves. When cultivating oneself, humans and outer spirits actively interact with each other. This is likely to cause changes in a human's constitution and characteristics. In the end, one can be enshrined with corresponding divine beings according to one's degree of cultivation. Humans are born through the command of Sangje and the accomplishments of their ancestors as well as the energy of the universe. Present day humans encounter the era of human nobility and the era of humankind's divine salvation. Thereby, the purpose of human life is to contribute to the universe. To achieve this goal, the most important thing is to wholly realize that one's nature and reason were endowed by Heaven, which emerged from virtuous conduct in society. This is also akin to the movement of reason in Jeungsanist Thought. Sangsaeng (mutual beneficence) among oneself and others and between human beings and divine beings can be completed through the resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence and the grateful reciprocation of favors for mutual beneficence. If one accomplishes the perfected state of one's own nature and reveals it wholly, then one will be fully able to interact with spirits and reach the state of the human nobility.

The Political Views of Kogakuha(古學派) in Japanese Confucianism - Focused at the concept of 'For the People' of Ito-Jinsai(伊藤仁齋) and Ogyu-Sorai (荻生?徠) (일본 고학파(古學派)의 정치관 - 이등인재(伊藤仁齋)와 적생조래(荻生?徠)의 위민(爲民) 개념을 중심으로 -)

  • Lee, Yongsoo
    • 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'.

A bibliographic study on medical science ancient period (上古時代) and the era of the old-Korea (古朝鮮時代) (상고시대(上古時代)와 고조선시대(古朝鮮時代)의 의학(醫學)에 관(關)한 문헌적(文獻的) 고찰(考察))

  • Kwon, Hak Cheol;Park, Chan-Guk
    • Journal of Korean Medical classics
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    • v.3
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    • pp.218-247
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    • 1989
  • As mentioned above, I got the next conclusion since I had considered the medical contents of the ancient period(上古時代) and the era of the old-Korea(古朝鮮時代) through several bibliographic records. 1. There were Pung-baeg(風伯), Uh-sa(雨師), Un-sa(雲師) that were the names of the governmental officials during the ancient period of Whan-ung(桓雄). Among them, Uh-sa specially managed the treatment for diseases. When we think of the significance of Pung(風)-which means the winds, Uh(雨)-which means the rain, Un(雲)-which means of clouds, we will find out that the human life will be affected by all kinds of phenomena of the nature. So I can infer that ancestries could prevent and treat diseases with adjusting them tn the changes in the weather. 2. There were five government officials(五事) in the ancient period of Whan-ung(桓雄上古時代). They are Uh-ga(牛加), Ma-ga(馬加), Ku-ga(狗加), Cheo-ga(猪加) and Yang-ga(羊加), and had charges of five important duties. Among them, Cheo-ga was set to a charge of treatment for diseases. So we can notice that there existed people who treated for diseases professionally. When we think of the meanings of Uh(牛)-which intends cows or bulls. Ma(馬)-which intends horses, Ku(狗)-which intends dogs, Cheo(猪)-which intends wild boars and Yang(羊)-which intends sheep, we can see that livestocks would be raised at that time, and they came to have more chances to digest meat. Since the digestion of meat became to be a burden on the stomach and the intestines, it might cause a lot of indigestive troubles. 3. When I compared Tan-gun Pal-ga(檀君八加) with the Oh-ga(五加) in the ancient period of Whan-ung(桓雄上古時代), I could tell that the community of Tan-gun's period is more advanced and specialized than one of Whan-ung's. When I think of the next sentence ; "The Prince Imperial, Bu-u(夫虞) become to be a Ro-ga(鷺加), who treat for diseases professionally.", I am sure that the treatment for diseases was more importment than any other things, because he was the third son of Tan-gun(檀君). 4. According to Tan-gun(檀君) mythology, Whan-ung(桓雄) came down from the heaven of the pure Yang(純陽) to the earth and then changed into a man who had had more Yang(陽) than Yin(陰). And a bear came up from the underground(or the cave) to the ground and then changed into a women who had had more Yin(陰) than Yang(陽). So both of them became to hold together. This story implicated that ancestors had taken a serious view of each of them, namely the ancestors didn't give the ascendance to the one side of them, and made much account of the mutual harmony. So I am sure that this fact coincided with the basic theories of oriental medical science. To refer to two proverbs of Tan-gun mythology that are "Ki-Sam-Chil-Il(忌三七日)" which means caring for twenty one days, and "Pul-Gyon-Il-Gwang-Baeg-Il(不見日光百日)" which means keeping indoors for one hundred days, I can tell you that "twenty-one-day" involves the principle of the birth of life, and "one-hundred-day" contains a preparatory period or the period of death to bear another life. 5. From the medical stuff, such as wormwood(艾), garlic(蒜), or wonder-working herbage(靈草), that had been written at the bibliographic papers of the ancient period(上古時代) and the era of the old-Korea(古朝鮮時代), I consider that many people might get a lot of women's diseases, indigestive troubles, and other diseases that were caused by the weakness, but with using various spices, such as the leaves of water pepper(蔘), they could prevent the occurrance of all kinds of diseases previously. So I regard this treatment as the medicine from food. 6. One of the sayings at Nae-gyong(內經) is that "The stone accupuncture(砭石) came from the orient." We can see both "wonder-wor-king wormwood(靈草)" and "dried wormwood(乾艾)" in the several bibliographic papers of the ancient history of the old-Korea(朝鮮上古史). From these records, I can be convinced that ancestors would utilize the acupuncture(針) and the moxa cautery(灸) to cure a patient of a disease. 7. Even though someone claimed that the book, "medical science and chemistry(醫學化學)" and "medical treatment(醫學大方)" had had been written during the ancient period of the old-Korea(上古朝鮮時代), such a fact can't have been ascertained historical evidence. But it has been handed down that there existed the original phonetic alphabet, such as the "Ka-Im-To alphabet(加臨土文字)" at that time. The terms about the diseases, which had been occurred at the community of the old-Korea(古朝鮮地域), were recorded fragmentarily at other records after that time. The origin of confucianism came from the race of the eastern barbarians, and Tae-Ho-Pok-Hi(太嗅伏義) and the king. Sun(舜) came from the eastern barbarians, too. The divination of tortoise shells at the country of Un(殷) is another from which was developed at the eastern barbarians' fortune-telling of animal bones. From these facts, I can infer that, by all means, they might record the medical knowledge which had been stored for thousands of years while contacting with china directly.

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