• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
• /
• no.32
• /
• pp.215-249
• /
• 2011

This essay reflects on the modernity of Korea by examining the transformation of the traditional knowledge system from a historico-semantic perspective with its focus on the opposition and collision of the old and the new conception occurred in the early period(1890~1910) of the acceptance of the Western modern civilization. With scientific success, trick of reason, Christianity and evolutionary view of history, the Western modernity regarded itself as a peak of civilization and forced the non-Western societies into the world system in which they came to be considered as 'barbarism(野蠻)' or 'half-enlightened(半開).' The East Asian civilization, which had its own history for several centuries, became degraded as kind of delusion and old-fashioned customs from which it ought to free itself. The Western civilization presented itself as exemplary future which East Asian people should achieve, while East Asian past traditions came to be conceived as just unnecessary vestiges which it was better to wipe out. It can be said that East Asian modernization was established through the propagation and acceptance of the modern products of the Western civilization rather than through the preservation of its past experience and pursuit of the new at the same time. Accordingly, it is difficult to apply directly to East Asian societies Koselleck's hypothesis; while mapping out his Basic Concept of History, he assumed that, in the so-called 'age of saddle,' semantic struggle over concepts becomes active between the past experience and the horizon of expectation on the future, and concepts undergoes 'temporalization', 'democratization', 'ideologization', 'politicization.'The struggle over the old and new conceptions in Korea was most noticeable in the opposition of the Neo-Confucian scholars of Hwangseongsinmun and the theorists of civilization of Doknipsinmun. The opposition and struggle demanded the change of understanding in every field, but there was difference of opinion over the conception of the past traditional knowledge system. For the theorists of civilization, 'the old(舊)' was not just 'past' and 'old-fashioned' things, but rather an obstacle to the building of new civilization. On the other hand, it contained the possibility of regeneration(新) for the Neo-Confucian scholars; that is, they suggested finding a guide into tomorrow by taking lessons from the past. The traditional knowledge system lost their holy status of learning(聖學) in the process of its change into a 'new learning(新學),' and religion and religious tradition also weakened. The traditional knowledge system could change itself into modern learning by accepting scientific methodology which pursues objectivity and rationality. This transformation of the traditional knowledge system and 'the formation of the new learning from the old learning' was accompanied by the intersection between the old and new conceptions. It is necessary to pay attention to the role played by the concept of Sil(hak)(實學) or Practical Learning in the intersection of the old and new conceptions. Various modern media published before and after the 20th century show clearly the multi-layered development of the old and new conceptions, and it is noticeable that 'Sil(hak)' as conceptual frame of reference contributed to the transformation of the traditional knowledge system into the new learning. Although Silhak often designated, or was even considered equivalent to, the Western learning, Neo-Confucian scholars reinterpreted the concept of 'Silhak' which the theorists of civilization had monopolized until then, and opened the way to change the traditional knowledge system into the new learning. They re-appropriated the concept of Silhak, and enabled it to be invested with values, which were losing their own status due to the overwhelming scientific technology. With Japanese occupation of Korea by force, the attempt to transform the traditional knowledge system independently was obliged to reach its own limit, but its theory of 'making new learning from old one' can be considered to get over both the contradiction of Dondoseogi(東道西器: principle of preserving Eastern philosophy while accepting Western technology) and the de-subjectivity of the theory of civilization. While developing its own logic, the theory of Dongdoseogi was compelled to bring in the contradiction of considering the indivisible(道and 器) as divisible, though it tried to cope with the reality where the principle of morality and that of competition were opposed each other and the ideologies of 'evolution' and 'progress' prevailed. On the other hand, the theory of civilization was not free from the criticism that it brought about a crack in subjectivity due to its internalization of the West, cutting itself off from the traditional knowledge system.

• Journal of architectural history
• /
• v.12 no.4 s.36
• /
• pp.49-62
• /
• 2003

Vesely explains, the main source of our confusion and nihilism comes most probably from the ambiguous relationship between modem architecture, technology and aesthetics. Also, to overcome such crucial problems, many theorists recently emphasize to take part in cultural civilization and to preserve creative genes of great culture that is based on our interpretation of 'ethical and mythical nucleus of mankind,' rather than in technical modernization that constitutes a sort of subtle destruction of mytho-ethical nucleus of a society. They for architecture also strongly stress on a mythopoetic imagination and an ontological construction of building, which could make a form symbolic and mythical rather than mathematical and aesthetic representation. On this point, 'myth' becomes a vital idea for constructing and construing architectural form and space. And it is also one of the essential concepts to understand both the motive power of cultural continuation of place and the meaning of architecture. Nevertheless, its meaning and the citation of word in architectural essay are still obscure. It might be because the original concept of myth not only has been lain in the matter of philosophical contemplation. Thus, the intention of the research is focused on lightening the meaning of myth in architectural term. Especially, it is, first, concentrated on interpreting philosopher Ernst Cassirer's reflections which were written in order to emphasize the importance of 'mythical consciousness' for the world's cultural civilization. And, the second, it will continue to interpret the myth as a sign within the semiotic concept of Charles Sanders Peirce, and further to emphasis the significance of mythic signs for the continuance of artistic and cultural idea including architecture. The contents of the paper is not that of architectural planning and design methodology, rather architectural philosophy and epistemology. Nevertheless, in regard to architecture, the research will, against today's un-discriminated use of symbolic motifs and instrumental representation of form, suggest a concrete architectural and aesthetic theory of myth and sign, especially of the relationship between the idea of semiology and the function of cultural continuity.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
• /
• no.43
• /
• pp.33-53
• /
• 2014

It's the situation that modern technological civilization shakes the life environment fundamentally without a serious reflection on the dangers. The sense of crisis' brought the rise of modern Ecology in awareness of survivability of the humanity. Because the serious reflection is not just a campaign for environmental protection, but is to establish the values which is possible to coexist and to make harmony between the nature and man, man and man, and to form a healthy relationship through philosophical thought and practice has intrinsic value for human and nature. Under these circumstances, if Yulgok lives now and he is questioned by the ecological theorists of the 21st century that "What do you think about the serious environmental problem of present times?", what really would be his explanation? In the presentation methods of the explanation, will question first what contents western ecologists who study Theory of the environment in technology, Deep Ecology, and Social Ecology propose, then will compare and introduce what similarities and differences from theirs. As a result, we'll be found that Yulgok's thought, moral consciousness, about the nature and humanity as a confucian scholar.