Li Chih(李贄) and the Practical Scievce(Silhak) of Joseon Dynasty

The Republic of Korea and Peoples Republic of China entered into diplomatic relationships in 1992, a century after the Chinese-Japanese War in 1895. The year of 1992 is exactly 600 years after Joseonnasty was established in 1392. The Republic of Korea went through an unfortunate period for a century due to the Japanese occupation of Korea and Korean War. There is a criticism in our society that ‘while the facilities are modern, the system stays in the 19th century and the thoughts remain in the Middle Ages’. The Middle Ages here refer to the Joseon Dynasty. Some calls it a ‘person of Joseonin the Western clothes’. Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) existed during the period of Ming and Qing Dynasties in China. The negative effects of Confucianism, or Neo-Confucianism, which dominated Joseon are often mentioned. Many Korean as well as foreign scholars also consider Joseon as a typical Confucianist nation. In the 16th century, Li Chih came into light in China, a Yangmingist scholar who opposed to studying theory without practice. Li challenged Confucianism and the Theory on Philosophical Continuation of the scholars in the Song Dynasty. He respected the capabilities of women, who were discriminated against, and thought highly of the popular literature. Li was a staunch Yangmingist who severely criticized the Neo-Confucianism of Chu His (朱熹,1130-1200). This study explores the impact the ideology of Li Chi had on the Practical Science of Joseon Dynasty. First, this paper studies Li Su-Kuang, a practical scholar who accepted Catholicism after the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. This study also discusses Huh Gyun (許筠, 1569-1618), who wrote Hong Gil Dong and criticized the class system of Joseon through politics and literature. He also wrote a poem called Read on Li’s Fensu (焚書). Park Ji Won (1737-1805) is another practical scholar who wrote The Story of the Noblemen and The Story of Huh Saeng. Jeong Da San (丁茶山, 1762-1836), a well-known practical scholar, cites Li Chih’s Critics for Four Books in his interpretation of the Confucius Scriptures. Li Geun Chang (1853-1898), a Yangmingist scholar from Ganghwa Island, composed a long poem called Li Cho Wo during the late period of Joseon Dynasty. Lastly, Shingling Literature Theory 性靈文學論 had an impact on the popular literature, such as The Story of Three Kingdom (三國志)and The Heroic Story of Shuei-hu. Huh Gyun accepted the ideology of Li Chih, while Jeong Da San differed from the traditional Confucius studies by citing Li Chih in his interpretation of the Confucian Scriptures. Li Geun Chang highly praised the ideology of Li Chih. The mainstream thoughts of Confucianism in Joseon Dynasty was Neo-Confucianism. Yangmingism had a difficulty in taking a place on its own; however, various individuals accepted the ideology of Li Chih, allowing some diversity in the scholarly scene.