earticle

영어

Generally speaking, the Confucian scholars of Joseon did not pay much attention to natural science. Their main interests lied on the ethical establishment in human society and the enhancement of morality. However, some Confucianists studied specialized fields, such as astronomy, calender, harmonics and arithmetics.
In this paper, the researcher is to introduce the whole aspects of the natural philosophy of Kyoung-Deok Seo, and evaluate its historical meaning and role, by analyzing Seo's writings and poetry which have not been noticed so far.
Seo considers that everything is composed of Chi (spiritual energy). According to Seo, the seemingly empty room is not empty at all, but filled with unseen Chi. In other words, the empty place is not a "nothing at all." Thus, there cannot be any place without Chi from the very first. Seo defines the empty space as a dynamic place which is full of Chi, where everything is born and gone.
In addition to Chi-ilwonlon, a theory regarding Chi as the root of everything, another main branch of Seo's natural philosophy is Sangsuhak. Seo considers that universal change can be understood completely regardless of time or space through Sangsuhak. This ultimately means the attempt to account for the natural changes in numerological dimension. The natural philosophy of Seo, consisting with the above mentioned Chi-ilwonlon and Sangsuhak, is believed to play a crucial role in making Joseon Confucianists believe in the "possibility of reasonable explanation to the nature."