Korean philosophy focused on a totality of world view. Some aspects of Shamanism, Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism were integrated into Korean philosophy. Traditional Korean thought has been influenced by a number of religious and philosophical thought-systems over the years. As the main influences on life in Korea, often Korean Shamanism, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Silhak movements have shaped Korean life and thought.
Buddhism
Haeinsa is a Buddhist temple in South Gyeongsang.
Korean Buddhist thinkers refined ideas originally introduced from China into a distinct form. The Three Kingdoms of Korea introduced Buddhism to Japan, from where it was popularized in the West. Korean Buddhism consists mostly of the Seon lineage, which is derivative of the Chen (Zen) Buddhism of China and precursor to Zen Buddhism known in the West through Japan.
Buddhist temples can be found in most parts of Korea and many are considered national treasures.
Confucianism
One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural exchange from China. Today the legacy of Confucianism remains a fundamental part of Korean society,
shaping the moral system, the way of life, social relations between old
and young, and high culture, and even survived the modernization of the
legal system.
Schools of thought in the Joseon period
This dynasty arose out of the military dictatorships and chaos of the
preceding era. Transition in this era was from Buddhism to a soldierly
approach to Neo-Confucianism. Much work was done, especially on
commentaries, and the Chu Hsi
school represented indeed the golden age of Korean religious
philosophy. Metaphysical research at this time investigated the
theological relations between principle (i) and material/vital force
(ki), and between as well the four beginnings (sadan), and the seven
feelings (ch'ilchong); with the division of the Joseon Confucianists
into two leading schools: one on "force" and one on "principles". The
philosopher Hwadam ( Suh Kyungduk, 1489–1546 ) moved to integrate i and
ki and spoke of Great Harmony (taehwa).
In the Four–Seven Debate with Ki Daesung, Toegye ( Yi Hwang, 1501
– 70 ), while being still dualistic, broke away from Chu Hsi by
espousing the reciprocal emanation (hobal) of i and ki: with the Four,
ki follows i when i becomes emanant; with the Seven, when ki becomes
emanant, i ‘rides’ ki. Though he was critical of Toegye's idea that ki
follows i as being dualistic, Yulgok (Yi I, 1536 – 84 ) nevertheless
embraced his notion that i ‘rides’ ki: only ki is emanant and i moves
its emanation; i and ki are ‘neither two things nor one thing’, as
evidenced by ‘wondrous fusion’ (myohap). For Yulgok, original nature (i)
and physical nature (ki) coalesce into one human nature. Toegye and
Yulgok, whose thoughts culminated in an irenic fusionism, constituted
the crowning phase of East Asian neo-Confucianism by exhibiting
dialectical dexterity in articulating the concepts of i and ki, left
unclarified by the Chinese.
Toegye also developed the neo-Confucianist concept of
single-mindedness (kyung), which was a manifestation of his unequivocal
humanism, as shown by his total rejection of the Mandate of Heaven
(chunmyung), which still had a hold on the Chinese, including Chu Hsi.
Toegye's kyung synthesized the primeval Korean sense of
supreme-efforts-come-earnest-devotion (chisung) with the Confucianist
notion of holding fast to mind (jik-yung); he advocated self-efforts for
creating a meaningful life. In particular, his concept of
single-mindedness had a lasting influence on the Japanese
neo-Confucianists of the Tokugawa period.
Every major Korean neo-Confucianist shared Toegye's preoccupation
with single-mindedness, which signalled new stress on praxis in the
development of Korean neo-Confucianism: the fusion of the metaphysical
and the physical is better brought about through action than
speculation, important as theory might be. That was the point of
Yulgok's integration of sincerity (sung) with single-mindedness. In this
respect Korean neo-Confucianism made a break with the Cheng-Chu school
of Chinese neo-Confucianism, which was overly speculative.
During the later Joseon period, Silhak, a form of Neo-Confucianism, emerged. One of the most prominent Silhak philosophers was Jeong Yakyong.
Western philosophy in Korea, 1890–1945
Those
who were sent to be educated in Japan, returned with limited knowledge
of Western philosophy as a whole, although the German educational
influence in Japan led to the beginning of interest in German idealists
in Korea through indirect knowledge, with the exception of Marx, Hegel, and the dialecticians.
The strong influence of low church
Christianity, through missionary schools, led to practical American
YMCA-style philosophy entering into Korea from the 1890s onwards. The
discussion of Korean Christianity and Korean Christian philosophy is complicated with many divisions, and discussed in articles elsewhere.
Philosophy in Korea was divided, by Western school, according to a
kind of pragmatic mix of varied progressive libertarian beliefs in the
south with highly variable changes from rigid authoritianism to softer
and easier more pragmatic approaches from the 1990s onwards.
North Korean post-1945 philosophy
In the republican period, post-1945, Marxism–Leninism in the north was built on the Confucian yangban scholar-warriors of earlier times, if perhaps taken to absolutist extremes.
The main influence in North Korea
has been since 1996, the notion of "The Red Banner Spirit". This system
of belief encourages the North Korean people to build a "kangsong
taeguk", a fortress state, based on self-reliance and absolute loyalty
to the leader (suryong). This philosophy was created by the "three
generals of Mt. Paektu," referring to former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, his father Kim Il-sung and his natural mother Kim Jong-suk.
Again little is known of philosophical publications on this subject;
but it appears to have replaced Marxism with a home-grown nationalistic
ideology.
List of philosophers
Buddhist philosophers
- Seungnang (circa 6th century)
- Wonch'uk (613–696)
- Wonhyo (617–686)
- Uisang (625–702)
- Kyunyeo (923–973)
- Uicheon (1055–1101)
- Jinul (1158–1210)
Neo-Confucian philosophers
- Jeong Mong-ju (1338–1392)
- Jeong Do-jeon (1342–1398)
- Seo Gyeong-deok (1489–1546)
- Yi Eon-jeok (1491–1553)
- Jo Sik (1501–1572)
- Yi Hwang (1501–1570)
- Yi I (1536–1584)
- Jeong Je-du (1649–1736)
- Jeong Yak-yong (1762–1836)
- Kim Jeong-hui (1786–1856)
Taoist philosophers
- Seo Gyeong-deok (1489–1546)
- Heo Gyun (1569–1618)
- Kim Si-seup (1435–1493)
- Im Yunjidang (1721–1793)
- Jeon Byeong Hun (1857–1927)
Joseon period
These are listed by their most commonly used pen name, followed by their birth name.
- Yeoheon Jang Hyeon-gwang (1554–1637)
- Hagok Jeong Je-du (1649–1736)
- Udam Jeong Si-han (1625–1707)
- Sambong Jeong Do-jeon (1337–1398)
- Dasan Jeong Yag-yong (1762–1836)
- Namdang Han Won-jin (1682–1750)
- Damheon Hong Tae-yong (1731–1783)
- Nosa Gi Jeong-jin (1798–1876)
- Gobong Gi Dae-seung (1527–1572)
- Haseo Kim In-hu (1511–1560)
- Maewoldang Kim Si-seup (1435–1493)
- Yangchon Gwon Geun (1352–1409)
- Yeonam Bak Ji-won (1737–1805)
- Seogye Bak Se-dang (1629–1703)
- Hwadam Seo Gyeong-deok (1489–1546)
- Ugye Seong Hon (1535–1598)
- Uam Song Si-yeol (1607–1689)
- Hanju Yi Jin-sang (1818–1885)
- Hwaseo Yi Hang-no (1792–1868)
- Toegye Yi Hwang (1501–1570)
- Yulgok Yi I (1536–1584)
- Seongho Yi Ik (1681–1763)
- Ban-gye Yu Hyeong-won (1622–1673)
- Baek-ho Yun Hyu (1617–1680)
