초록 열기/닫기 버튼
This paper analyzes political activities and political thoughts of young Syngman Rhee and explores the specific meanings of the concepts of human rights and sovereignty introduced from the West towards the period of the Daehan Empire. Young Syngman Rhee came across these Western political theories as he studied at Baejaehackdang and, subsequently, through his social and political activities. This paper argues that Rhee's view on human rights and sovereignty belongs to the Lockean tradition which is basically citizen-and ruled-centric rather than state- and ruler-centric. This means that he accepts the theories of natural rights and popular sovereignty. This has to do with the influences of Dr. Jaepil Suh and American Christian missionaries. While his liberal view of human rights and sovereignty empowered him to wage both reform movement and anti-Japanese independence struggle, he was critical of an element of extreme individualism of liberal democracy in the context of both fighting totalitarianism and the immediate aftermath of liberated Korea.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
Syngman Rhee's political thought, the introduction of Western concept of human rights and sovereignty, natural rights theory, popular sovereignty, Lockean tradition of political thought
