EKP1: Modernity and the Emergence of Korean Philosophy

In the “Exploration to Korean Philosophy” series, we will delve deeper into the subject matter than what was previously addressed in the courses “Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture (IKPC)” and “In Search for the Origins of Korean Philosophy (SOKP)." In EKP1, titled "Modernity and the Emergence of 'Korean' Philosophy," we explore how the Korean intellectual tradition encountered a pivotal moment of reinterpretation as it embraced the discipline of "philosophy," often seen as the apex of modern European intellectual history. Looking at examples of Concept Clusters, we can see that Korean philosophy is deeply rooted in the Korean language and has formed a philosophical perspective that is different not only from the West but also from neighboring countries such as China and Japan. In this course, we also dealt with the early Korean Neo-Confucianism's gaze on “cheon”, referring to “heaven” as an example that clearly demonstrates the characteristics of Korean philosophy before it was given the name “philosophy.” Even before and after the advent of Neo-Confucianism, the search for ultimate existence – expressed in various terms – was constantly pursued. The gaze on “heaven” is an important feature of Korean philosophy.