A Korean Confucian Way of Life and Thought

Edward Y. J. Chung

Edward Y. J. Chung

A Korean Confucian Way of Life and Thought

The Chasŏngnok (Record of Self-Reflection) by Yi Hwang (T’oegye)

Edited by: Robert E. Buswell

University of Hawaii Press | 2015

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780824857486

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About this book

Yi Hwang (1501–1570)—best known by his literary name, T’oegye—is one of the most eminent thinkers in the history of East Asian philosophy and religion. His Chasŏngnok (Record of self-reflection) is a superb Korean Neo-Confucian text: an eloquent collection of twenty-two scholarly letters and four essays written to his close disciples and junior colleagues. These were carefully selected by T’oegye himself after self-reflecting (chasŏng) on his practice of personal cultivation. The Chasŏngnok continuously guided T’oegye and inspired others on the true Confucian way (including leading Neo-Confucians in Tokugawa Japan) while it criticized Buddhism and Daoism. Its philosophical merit rivals T’oegye’s monumental Sŏnghak sipto (Ten diagrams on sage learning) and “Four-Seven Debate Letters”; however, as a testament of T’oegye’s character, scholarship, and teaching, the Chasŏngnok is of greater interest. The work engages with his holistic knowledge and experience of self-cultivation by articulating textual and historical material on various key doctrines and ideas. It is an inspiring practical guide that reveals the depth of T’oegye’s learning and spirituality.

The present volume offers a fully annotated translation of the Chasŏngnok. Following a groundbreaking discussion of T’oegye’s life and ideas according to the Chasŏngnok and his other major writings, it presents the core of his thought in six interrelated sections: “Philosophy of Principle,” “Human Nature and Emotions,” “Against Buddhism and Daoism,” “True Learning,” “Self-Cultivation,” and “Reverence and Spiritual Cultivation.” The bibliography offers a current catalogue of primary sources and modern works in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and English. As the first comprehensive study of the Chasŏngnok, this book is a welcome addition to current literature on Korean classics and East Asian philosophy and religion. By presenting T’oegye’s thought-provoking contributions, it sheds new light on the vitality of Confucian wisdom, thereby affording scholars and students with an excellent primary source for East Asian studies in general and Confucian studies in particular.

Author information

ChungEdward Y. J.:

Edward Y. J. Chung teaches Eastern religion and thought and comparative religion at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Reviews

Chung, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, is one of the finest connoisseurs of T’oegye and his thought. This he combines with solid translational skills, crafting a prose that is highly readable while retaining the intricacies of the original text. . . . This is a recommended reading for advanced students and specialists of Neo-Confucianism.

Frontmatter Free access PDF PDF	i
Contents Free access PDF PDF	vii
Preface Free access PDF PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Free access PDF PDF	xi
A Note on Transliteration, Citation, and Translation Style Free access PDF PDF	xiii
Abbreviations Free access PDF PDF	xix
I. Translator’s Introduction Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	1
II. Translation. The Chasŏngnok Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	47
Notes Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	147
Glossary of Key Terms, Titles, and Names Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	229
Bibliography Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	235
Index Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	245
About the Translator Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	257

A Korean Confucian Way of Life and Thought

The Chasŏngnok (Record of Self-Reflection) by Yi Hwang (T’oegye)

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