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Buddhist and East Asian Philosophy

Korean Neo-Confucianism

The flourishing of Neo-Confucian metaphysics and moral philosophy in Joseon Korea, centered on the Four-Seven Debate over the nature of the mind.

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  1. The Introduction of Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism to Korea. Zhu Xi's Cheng-Zhu synthesis reached Korea in the late Goryeo period and became state orthodoxy under Joseon.
  2. Yi Hwang (Toegye) on Li and Qi. Toegye held that li could actively "issue" alongside qi, giving principle a dynamic priority in moral psychology.
  3. Yi I (Yulgok) and the Critique of Toegye's Dualism. Yulgok argued only qi truly issues, with li riding along, denying Toegye's dual-issuance of principle.
  4. The Four-Seven Debate on Moral Sentiments. The decade-long Toegye-Gobong exchange on the Four Beginnings and Seven Feelings shaped Korean philosophy for centuries.
  5. Korean Confucian Academies and the Sarim Tradition. Private seowon academies and the rural Sarim literati reshaped Joseon intellectual and political life from the 16th century.
  6. Confucian Statecraft in the Joseon Dynasty. Joseon built its law codes, rites, and bureaucracy on explicit Neo-Confucian statecraft principles.
  7. Silhak: The Korean School of Practical Learning. Silhak scholars from the 17th to 19th centuries urged practical, empirical reform against rigid Neo-Confucian orthodoxy.
  8. Korean Neo-Confucianism's Comparative Significance in East Asian Thought. Korean Neo-Confucian refinements of li-qi metaphysics shaped Japanese Confucianism and remain a distinct East Asian contribution.

This module continues after "Zen and Japanese Buddhist Philosophy" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

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1The Introduction of Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism to Korea
2Yi I (Yulgok) and the Critique of Toegye's Dualism
3Korean Confucian Academies and the Sarim Tradition
4Confucian Statecraft in the Joseon Dynasty
5Korean Neo-Confucianism's Comparative Significance in East Asian Thought

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Kalton, M. C. (1994). The Four-Seven Debate: An Annotated Translation of the Most Famous Controversy in Korean Neo-Confucian Thought. Albany: State University of New York Press.
  • Chung, E. Y. J. (1995). The Korean Neo-Confucianism of Yi Toegye and Yi Yulgok: A Reappraisal of the "Four-Seven Thesis" and Its Practical Implications for Self-Cultivation. Albany: State University of New York Press.
  • Palais, J. B. (1996). Confucian Statecraft and Korean Institutions: Yu Hyongwon and the Late Choson Dynasty. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
  • Setton, M. (1997). Chong Yagyong: Korea's Challenge to Orthodox Neo-Confucianism. Albany: State University of New York Press.
  • Deuchler, M. (1992). The Confucian Transformation of Korea: A Study of Society and Ideology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center.
  • Chan, W.-T. (Ed.). (1986). Chu Hsi and Neo-Confucianism. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.