Jeong Yak-yong
Encyclopedia
Jeong Yak-yong was a leading Korean philosopher in the late Joseon Dynasty
. He has usually been regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the so-called "Practical Learning" (Silhak
) movement. Jeong thought that Neo-Confucianism
, the dominant ideology of the time, lacked practicality and relevance to his time, suggesting the need to reappreciate the spirit of early Confucianism in general, i.e., practicality. Jeong Yak-yong and his brothers were also among the earliest Korean converts to Roman Catholicism.
Korean and world experts have celebrated Jeong Yak-yong's contribution to Korean philosophy. Eminent Korean Confucian scholars received a pen name in addition to their birth name. In the case of Jeong Yak-yong, he received the pen name Dasan. Dasan established his reputation by explaining and applying the 18th century Korean philosophy
, Silhak
. Silhak arose when Korean scholars like Dasan worked to adapt Western ideas to Korean Confucian philosophy. Most Korean Confucian scholars consider Dasan the foremost Silhak philosopher.
, Gyeonggi province.
The Jeong family, which included four brothers and a sister, has been immortalized not only by the exceptional intelligence and dedication of their children but also by their close connection with the birth of the Korean Catholic Church at the end of the 18th century.
Dasan was the fourth son of the Jeong family, and as the youngest, he benefited from the example of his brothers, relatives and friends of the extended family. At a young age he devoured the books of his family’s library and was talented at writing. Although his family was one of destitute families of the Southern party a lot of activities had been happening since the new King Jeongjo noticed the potential talent of such families.
in 1783 and served the government as the Gyeongui Jinsa (경의진사, 經義進土). In 1784, He was influenced by the Western learning and Roman Catholicism through Yi Byeok.
In 1789, He was appointed Gajuseo (가주서, 假注書) and Geom-yeol (검열, 檢閱). In those days, Korean government repressed freedom of religion, especially Catholicism. He was also exiled to the Haemi by his political opponents due to this reason. However. King Jeongjo ordered his return to court after only ten days.
He supervised the construction of Hwaseong Fortress
in Suwon in the early 1792. In 1794, he served as secret royal inspector
(암행어사) of Gyeonggi province, investigating misconduct by other officials. This opened his eyes to the scale of official misconduct, and may have inspired many of his later writings.
In 1795, He was demoted to a less important post for such a reason in 1789. After 1795, He became Busajik (부사직, 副司直) in Kyujanggak
, Seungji (승지). However, he was entrapped and resigned from these positions. In 1799, He was appointed as the Byeongjo chamui, but resigned from his position. King Jeongjo called him back but suddenly died in June 1800.
, was too young, so the Queen Jeongsun
seized power only to take revenge against all the reformers like Dasan. She used the pretext of the Roman Catholic Church, which she called a perverse religion, and launched persecution
in 1801. Dasan seems to have renounced his faith. He barely escaped death, and was exiled in Kangjin in the south of the country.
His enemies thought to be rid of him; he was living among peasants in a remote place, considered to be a criminal. As a result, He was exiled to Gangjin
, South Jeolla for 18 years.
During that period, Dasan lived truly what was the ideal of silhak. He wrote on numerous subjects such as complex philosophical issues, land systems, political structure reform, fairer distribution of wealth, and abolition of the social hierarchy system. Many important works on jurisprudence "Heumheumsinseo" (1819), on the art of governing, "Mongminsimseo", on the administration, "Gyeongse Yupyo" (1817) were written in this period.
.
. In the process, he wrote widely in various fields including law, political theory, and the Korean Confucian classics. He sought to return Korean Confucian scholarship to a direct connection with the original thought of Confucius
. He called this return to the classics "Susa" learning (수사, 洙泗), a reference to the two rivers that flowed through Confucius' homeland.
Jeong published a number of books over various areas, including his best-known Mokminsimseo (목민심서, 牧民心書, The Mind of Governing the People). Although he was deeply concerned about the problem of poverty during that time, Jeong deeply pondered the issue of poverty and raised questions about the role of government officials. He believed that the government and bureaucrats could and should play a major role in solving the problem of poverty. Dasan stressed the importance of the governor's administering the people with integrity and in a fair manner. According to him, the government was the ruling entity to render aid and favor to the people while the people were the subject of the government's sympathy and rule.
In the service of this idea, Jeong criticized the philosophers of his time for engaging in both fruitless etymological
scholarship and pursuing philosophical theory for their own sake. He argued that scholarship should be re-focused on more important concerns such as music, ritual, and law. This was not only an intellectual but also a political assertion: he argued that the gwageo
examinations by which people qualified for royal service should be reformed to focus on these concerns.
1) The cognition of the ritual object raises the intentional movement of mind/heart toward the ritual object in the cognitive process.
2) The intentionality of mind and heart entails reverence and purification in the ritual process. Ritual practice is significant through sincerity (성, 誠) and seriousness (경, 敬). From the perspective of the cognitive science of religion, Dasan's theory relates cognition with intentional piety in the cognitive process, and combines intentional piety and reverence/purification in ritual practice. Dasan intended to regulate the excessive ritual practices of the literati and restrict popular licentious cults (음사, 淫祀) in accordance with his cognitive formula. From his point of view, Confucianist's ritual conceptions were improper or impractical, and popular licentious cults were impious and overly enthusiastic. In order to solve these problems, He redefined Zhi Hsi's concept of seriousness as attentive concentration of convergent piety into the concept of prudential reverence as intentional pietism. Zhi Hsi's concept of seriousness contains apophatic mysticism like Zen Buddhist Quietism (정, 靜) by mediation, but Dasan's concept of reverence is inclined towards Cataphatic activism by contemplation.
“In addition to egalitarian ideas, Chông Yag-yong Dasan provided something precious that had been lost at that time. He has these elements that we must learn and revive in these modern times. He formed his philosophy despite his sufferings in exile. I think he will be of interest to contemporary scholars for a long time.”
Professor Peng Lin at Qinghua University, Beijing teaches the Chinese classics and has a special interest in Dasan’s study of rituals. He published in the 1980s research papers on Dasan in the Sônggyun’gwan Journal of East Asian Studies:
“Dasan devoted great efforts in studying rites, to understanding and bringing recognition to traditional culture. I believe that Dasan’s study of rites is highly unique. He studied all the three fields in the study of ritual and this was not common even among Chinese scholars. Many can achieve only partial understanding even after a lifetime study, but Dasan studied all the ritual fields and his research is truly astounding. He wanted to create an ideal society by starting with what already existed. This shows Dasan’s humanistic interest and that intrigues me.”
Professor Don Baker at the Asia Center of the University of British Columbia, Canada, is interested in Dasan for his role as an intellectual in a period of transition:
“I think that in the twenty-first century we still need to adopt Dasan’s spirit, what I call moral pragmatism. He was a very pragmatic man. He looked at problems and said ‘how can we solve them’. But also he always kept his moral values at the front. We often have in society a material progress for the sake of material progress. Dasan wanted a material progress but a progress that creates a more moral society, therefore I call it moral pragmatism and I think that we still need such spirit today.”
There is in Korea a revival of Jeong Yak-yong's thought never seen before on that scale for any Korean philosopher. In the not distant past one could hear doubts about even the existence of a Korean philosophy. Since the liberation of Korea in 1945 Western philosophy has prevailed and philosophy departments in most Korean universities teach mainly European modern philosophy. Therefore Dasan is of great importance as he was able to be enthusiastic for modern Western ideas but remained deeply committed to the depth of Confucianism. He was not defending a tradition for its own sake but wanted to keep the precious values of the early Chinese period because it was a foundation for man and society.
near a mountain of the same name, in Gangjin County
, on the coast of South Jeolla
province. Other pen names of his include Sammi (삼미/三眉), Yeoyudang (여유당/與猶堂), Saam (사암/俟菴), Jahadoin (자하도인/紫霞道人), Tagong (탁옹/籜翁), Taesu (태수/苔叟), Munamirin (문암일인/門巖逸人), and Cheolmasancho (철마산초/鐵馬山樵).
At birth, his father gave Jeong the courtesy name Gwinong, (귀농/歸農), which means "returning to the land." This reflected his father's decision to leave government service in the wake of King Yeongjo
's murder of the crown prince.
As a Roman Catholic, he received the baptismal name John, or 요한 (Yohan), in Korean.
After his death, the King bestowed on Jeong the posthumous name
Mundo (문도/文度). Mun refers to writing or literature, and do to law.
He was the uncle of Saint Paul Chong Hasang
.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. He has usually been regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the so-called "Practical Learning" (Silhak
Silhak
Silhak was a Korean Confucian social reform movement in late Joseon Dynasty. Sil means "actual" or "practical," and hak means "studies" or "learning." It developed in response to the increasingly metaphysical nature of Neo-Confucianism that seemed disconnected from the rapid agricultural,...
) movement. Jeong thought that Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism is an ethical and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Ao in the Tang Dynasty....
, the dominant ideology of the time, lacked practicality and relevance to his time, suggesting the need to reappreciate the spirit of early Confucianism in general, i.e., practicality. Jeong Yak-yong and his brothers were also among the earliest Korean converts to Roman Catholicism.
Korean and world experts have celebrated Jeong Yak-yong's contribution to Korean philosophy. Eminent Korean Confucian scholars received a pen name in addition to their birth name. In the case of Jeong Yak-yong, he received the pen name Dasan. Dasan established his reputation by explaining and applying the 18th century Korean philosophy
Korean philosophy
Korean philosophy goes back more than two thousand years. Traditional Korean philosophy focused on a totality of world view. The emotional content of Shamanism, and the unpredictable, and some aspects of Neo-Confucianism were both integrated into it....
, Silhak
Silhak
Silhak was a Korean Confucian social reform movement in late Joseon Dynasty. Sil means "actual" or "practical," and hak means "studies" or "learning." It developed in response to the increasingly metaphysical nature of Neo-Confucianism that seemed disconnected from the rapid agricultural,...
. Silhak arose when Korean scholars like Dasan worked to adapt Western ideas to Korean Confucian philosophy. Most Korean Confucian scholars consider Dasan the foremost Silhak philosopher.
Early life
Jeong was born, and also ended his days, in modern-day NamyangjuNamyangju
Namyangju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri City, and to the north is Pocheon City.-History of Namyangju:...
, Gyeonggi province.
The Jeong family, which included four brothers and a sister, has been immortalized not only by the exceptional intelligence and dedication of their children but also by their close connection with the birth of the Korean Catholic Church at the end of the 18th century.
Dasan was the fourth son of the Jeong family, and as the youngest, he benefited from the example of his brothers, relatives and friends of the extended family. At a young age he devoured the books of his family’s library and was talented at writing. Although his family was one of destitute families of the Southern party a lot of activities had been happening since the new King Jeongjo noticed the potential talent of such families.
Time at the Kyujanggak
Jeong Yak-yong passed the civil service examinationGwageo
The gwageo were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' knowledge of the Chinese classics, and sometimes also of technical subjects...
in 1783 and served the government as the Gyeongui Jinsa (경의진사, 經義進土). In 1784, He was influenced by the Western learning and Roman Catholicism through Yi Byeok.
In 1789, He was appointed Gajuseo (가주서, 假注書) and Geom-yeol (검열, 檢閱). In those days, Korean government repressed freedom of religion, especially Catholicism. He was also exiled to the Haemi by his political opponents due to this reason. However. King Jeongjo ordered his return to court after only ten days.
He supervised the construction of Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong , the wall surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, was built in the late 18th century by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty to honour and house the remains of his father Prince Sado, who had been murdered by being locked alive inside a rice...
in Suwon in the early 1792. In 1794, he served as secret royal inspector
Secret royal inspector
Secret royal inspector, or Amhaeng-eosa was a temporary position unique to Joseon Dynasty, in which an undercover official directly appointed by the king was sent to local provinces to monitor government officials and look after the populace while traveling incognito...
(암행어사) of Gyeonggi province, investigating misconduct by other officials. This opened his eyes to the scale of official misconduct, and may have inspired many of his later writings.
In 1795, He was demoted to a less important post for such a reason in 1789. After 1795, He became Busajik (부사직, 副司直) in Kyujanggak
Kyujanggak
The Kyujanggak was the royal library of the Joseon Dynasty, and functions today as a key repository of Korean historical records. It was founded in 1776 during the reign of Jeongjo, at which time it was located on the palace grounds of Changdeokgung...
, Seungji (승지). However, he was entrapped and resigned from these positions. In 1799, He was appointed as the Byeongjo chamui, but resigned from his position. King Jeongjo called him back but suddenly died in June 1800.
Exile
King Jeongjo's successor, King SunjoSunjo of Joseon
Sunjo was the 23rd king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty.He was born His Royal Highness Prince Yi Gong, the 2nd son of King Jeongjo by his concubine, Lady Subin....
, was too young, so the Queen Jeongsun
Queen Jeongsun
Queen Jeongsun was a Queen consort of Korea as married to King Yeongjo , and the regent of Korea from 1800 to 1805 as the guardian of her minor step great-grandson, Sunjo of Joseon...
seized power only to take revenge against all the reformers like Dasan. She used the pretext of the Roman Catholic Church, which she called a perverse religion, and launched persecution
Catholic Persecution of 1801
The Catholic Persecution of 1801, also known as the Sinyu Persecution , was a mass persecution of Korean Catholics ordered by regent Dowager Queen Jeongsun during King Sunjo of Joseon's reign on April 8, 1801 ....
in 1801. Dasan seems to have renounced his faith. He barely escaped death, and was exiled in Kangjin in the south of the country.
His enemies thought to be rid of him; he was living among peasants in a remote place, considered to be a criminal. As a result, He was exiled to Gangjin
Gangjin
Gangjin County is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Gangjin county proper was established in 1895. The county office is located in Gangjin-eup.It is a noted area for the production of traditional Korean celadon...
, South Jeolla for 18 years.
During that period, Dasan lived truly what was the ideal of silhak. He wrote on numerous subjects such as complex philosophical issues, land systems, political structure reform, fairer distribution of wealth, and abolition of the social hierarchy system. Many important works on jurisprudence "Heumheumsinseo" (1819), on the art of governing, "Mongminsimseo", on the administration, "Gyeongse Yupyo" (1817) were written in this period.
Return to Majae
When Dasan was pardoned in 1819 by King Sunjo, his life remained precarious. After his return, He died on 1836 in NamyangjuNamyangju
Namyangju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri City, and to the north is Pocheon City.-History of Namyangju:...
.
Thought
Jeong is well-known above all for his work in synthesizing the Neo-Confucian thought of the middle Joseon dynastyJoseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. In the process, he wrote widely in various fields including law, political theory, and the Korean Confucian classics. He sought to return Korean Confucian scholarship to a direct connection with the original thought of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
. He called this return to the classics "Susa" learning (수사, 洙泗), a reference to the two rivers that flowed through Confucius' homeland.
Jeong published a number of books over various areas, including his best-known Mokminsimseo (목민심서, 牧民心書, The Mind of Governing the People). Although he was deeply concerned about the problem of poverty during that time, Jeong deeply pondered the issue of poverty and raised questions about the role of government officials. He believed that the government and bureaucrats could and should play a major role in solving the problem of poverty. Dasan stressed the importance of the governor's administering the people with integrity and in a fair manner. According to him, the government was the ruling entity to render aid and favor to the people while the people were the subject of the government's sympathy and rule.
In the service of this idea, Jeong criticized the philosophers of his time for engaging in both fruitless etymological
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
scholarship and pursuing philosophical theory for their own sake. He argued that scholarship should be re-focused on more important concerns such as music, ritual, and law. This was not only an intellectual but also a political assertion: he argued that the gwageo
Gwageo
The gwageo were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' knowledge of the Chinese classics, and sometimes also of technical subjects...
examinations by which people qualified for royal service should be reformed to focus on these concerns.
Ye Philosophy
Ye philosophy takes up a large portion of the writings of Jeong Yak-yong. As demonstrated by the fact that the original title of Gyeongse Yupyo (경세유표, 經世遺表, Design for Good Government), a flagship work of his which presents a blueprint of state management, was Bangnye Chobon (Draft for the Country’s Rites), Jeong uses the concept of Ye extensively to represent what he aims to achieve with his thought. He focuses this concept on his notion of good government and later extended and branched into his works of classical studies and natural sciences.Theory of Sacrificial Rites
Dasan's theory of Korean-style sacrificial rites (제사, 祭祀) shows his socio-political concern seeking for the rule of virtue and righteous government. He intended to motivate people into making everyday practices of the human imperatives and to revitalize effectively the traditional society of the late period of Joseon dynasty which had its basis upon Ye (禮, Confucian order). In Mokminsimseo, Dasan formulates the cognitive process of ritual practice focussing on sacrificial rites as follows.1) The cognition of the ritual object raises the intentional movement of mind/heart toward the ritual object in the cognitive process.
2) The intentionality of mind and heart entails reverence and purification in the ritual process. Ritual practice is significant through sincerity (성, 誠) and seriousness (경, 敬). From the perspective of the cognitive science of religion, Dasan's theory relates cognition with intentional piety in the cognitive process, and combines intentional piety and reverence/purification in ritual practice. Dasan intended to regulate the excessive ritual practices of the literati and restrict popular licentious cults (음사, 淫祀) in accordance with his cognitive formula. From his point of view, Confucianist's ritual conceptions were improper or impractical, and popular licentious cults were impious and overly enthusiastic. In order to solve these problems, He redefined Zhi Hsi's concept of seriousness as attentive concentration of convergent piety into the concept of prudential reverence as intentional pietism. Zhi Hsi's concept of seriousness contains apophatic mysticism like Zen Buddhist Quietism (정, 靜) by mediation, but Dasan's concept of reverence is inclined towards Cataphatic activism by contemplation.
Views on Dasan
Professor Ogawa Haruhisa of Nishogakusha University in Tokyo is very impressed by Dasan:“In addition to egalitarian ideas, Chông Yag-yong Dasan provided something precious that had been lost at that time. He has these elements that we must learn and revive in these modern times. He formed his philosophy despite his sufferings in exile. I think he will be of interest to contemporary scholars for a long time.”
Professor Peng Lin at Qinghua University, Beijing teaches the Chinese classics and has a special interest in Dasan’s study of rituals. He published in the 1980s research papers on Dasan in the Sônggyun’gwan Journal of East Asian Studies:
“Dasan devoted great efforts in studying rites, to understanding and bringing recognition to traditional culture. I believe that Dasan’s study of rites is highly unique. He studied all the three fields in the study of ritual and this was not common even among Chinese scholars. Many can achieve only partial understanding even after a lifetime study, but Dasan studied all the ritual fields and his research is truly astounding. He wanted to create an ideal society by starting with what already existed. This shows Dasan’s humanistic interest and that intrigues me.”
Professor Don Baker at the Asia Center of the University of British Columbia, Canada, is interested in Dasan for his role as an intellectual in a period of transition:
“I think that in the twenty-first century we still need to adopt Dasan’s spirit, what I call moral pragmatism. He was a very pragmatic man. He looked at problems and said ‘how can we solve them’. But also he always kept his moral values at the front. We often have in society a material progress for the sake of material progress. Dasan wanted a material progress but a progress that creates a more moral society, therefore I call it moral pragmatism and I think that we still need such spirit today.”
There is in Korea a revival of Jeong Yak-yong's thought never seen before on that scale for any Korean philosopher. In the not distant past one could hear doubts about even the existence of a Korean philosophy. Since the liberation of Korea in 1945 Western philosophy has prevailed and philosophy departments in most Korean universities teach mainly European modern philosophy. Therefore Dasan is of great importance as he was able to be enthusiastic for modern Western ideas but remained deeply committed to the depth of Confucianism. He was not defending a tradition for its own sake but wanted to keep the precious values of the early Chinese period because it was a foundation for man and society.
Names
At different times in his life, Jeong adopted a wide variety of ho, or pen names. The most well-known of these, Dasan, means "tea mountain." Jeong adopted it while in internal exileInternal Exile
Internal Exile was Fish's second solo album after leaving Marillion in 1988. The album, released 28 October 1991, was inspired by the singer's past, his own personal problems and his troubled experiences with his previous record label EMI.The album's music reflects Fish's indulgence in the vast...
near a mountain of the same name, in Gangjin County
Gangjin
Gangjin County is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Gangjin county proper was established in 1895. The county office is located in Gangjin-eup.It is a noted area for the production of traditional Korean celadon...
, on the coast of South Jeolla
Jeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
province. Other pen names of his include Sammi (삼미/三眉), Yeoyudang (여유당/與猶堂), Saam (사암/俟菴), Jahadoin (자하도인/紫霞道人), Tagong (탁옹/籜翁), Taesu (태수/苔叟), Munamirin (문암일인/門巖逸人), and Cheolmasancho (철마산초/鐵馬山樵).
At birth, his father gave Jeong the courtesy name Gwinong, (귀농/歸農), which means "returning to the land." This reflected his father's decision to leave government service in the wake of King Yeongjo
Yeongjo of Joseon
Yeongjo was the twenty-first king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the second son of Sukjong by Lady Suk-bin of the Choi clan , succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong.-Reign:...
's murder of the crown prince.
As a Roman Catholic, he received the baptismal name John, or 요한 (Yohan), in Korean.
After his death, the King bestowed on Jeong the posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Mundo (문도/文度). Mun refers to writing or literature, and do to law.
He was the uncle of Saint Paul Chong Hasang
Paul Chong Hasang
Paul Chong Hasang was one of the Korean Martyrs.He was the son of the martyr Augustine Jeong Yak-Jong and a nephew of noted philosopher John Jeong Yak-Yong, who were among the first converts of Korea, who wrote the first catechism for the Roman Catholic Church in Korea .When Yakjong was martyred...
.
Footnotes
- Lee, Ki-baek, 1976, p. 239.
- Lee Eul-ho, 1985, reprinted in Korean National Commission (Eds.), 2004, p. 338
- Lee Eul-ho, op. cit., p. 340.
- Lee Eul-ho, op. cit., pp. 344–345.
- Jeong Yag-yong, "False Forms of Confucian Scholarship," in Ch'oe et al. (2000), pp. 23–26.
- Chong Yak-yong "Tasan", section titled "The Road to Tea Mountain". Claims to be quoted from Mark Setton's 1997 work, Chong YagYong: Korea's challenge to Neo-confucianism.
See also
- Jeong Yak-jong
- SilhakSilhakSilhak was a Korean Confucian social reform movement in late Joseon Dynasty. Sil means "actual" or "practical," and hak means "studies" or "learning." It developed in response to the increasingly metaphysical nature of Neo-Confucianism that seemed disconnected from the rapid agricultural,...
- Korean philosophyKorean philosophyKorean philosophy goes back more than two thousand years. Traditional Korean philosophy focused on a totality of world view. The emotional content of Shamanism, and the unpredictable, and some aspects of Neo-Confucianism were both integrated into it....
- List of Korean philosophers
- Education in the Joseon DynastyEducation in the Joseon DynastyEducation in the Joseon Dynasty of Korea was largely aimed at preparing students for government service. The ultimate goal of most students was successful passage of the state examinations, known as gwageo....
- Joseon Dynasty politicsJoseon Dynasty politicsThe politics of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910, were governed by the reigning ideology of Korean Confucianism, a form of Neo-Confucianism. Political struggles were common between different factions of the scholar-officials...
- Catholicism in Korea