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영어

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the idea of life of Hong Am Ra Cheol in terms of the idea of devotion to the welfare of mankind. Ra Cheol was the figure who led a hard life when his country was severely threatened by outer forces both spiritually and physically. Under this undesirable living conditions, he played a active role in activities for restoring his country's independence like ordinary patriots. However, through his dramatic encounter with Daejonggyo he came to realize that political activities by force were nothing but meaningless ones by secular principles. And then Ra Cheol, who had come to look different from what he used to be, devoted himself to the religious movement for Daejonggyo on the basis of the belief that only ethical orders can govern and change the world profoundly. His religious movement for Daejonggyo was meant to contribute to the universal interest of all human beings in accordance with universality beyond particular religious sects and particular nations.
So far Ra Cheol has been accepted as the Father of Korea independence movement in terms of politics, and as the figure who revived the movement of Korean studies for the purpose of awaking the cultural independence of Korea in terms of Korean culture. However, from whichever viewpoint he is measured, what matters is his system of idea inherent in the movements.
The essence of Ra Cheol' idea was the systematic idea of Daejonggyo, which had been shaped by the process of his encountering Daejonggyo. The idea of Daejonggyo is called「the idea of Sam-Il」, whose religious world view consists of God, human beings, and things. It is「the idea of Sam-Il」that lies in the core of the idea of Ra Cheol. This idea of Ra Cheol served as the dynamic which sublimated the Korean independence movement into the higher level not by military force but by the principle of love based on the laws of nature. Also Ra Cheol's idea formed the philosophical basis of Korean Studies, which is on the basis of Korean literature, Korean history, and Korean philosophy.
The idea of Ra Cheol functioned as the motive power for the modern Korean independence movement and the self-independent cultural movement called Korean Studies. In addition, Ra Cheol was the figure who made the original meaning of「evotion to the welfare of mankind」take concrete shape most faithfully. Based on the realization of religious truth represented as the idea of Sam-Il, Hong Am Ra Cheol put into practice the practical theory of the idea of evotion to the welfare of mankind, which is made up of the worship of the Heaven, the practice of our own's natures, and doing virtues in obedience to the Heavenly God's order.