“History, Philosophy, and Spirituality of the Four-Seven Debate: The Korean Neo-Confucian Interpretation of Human Nature, Emotions, and Self-Cultivation”

Abstract

In sixteenth-century Korea, the Four-Seven Debate was a very important topic for many leading Neo-Confucians, such as Yi Hwang (T’oegye, 1501–1570), Yi I (Yulgok, 1536–1584), and their debaters. It played a powerful role in contributing to the distinctive development of Korean Neo-Confucianism, thereby producing the focused yet divergent interpretations of Sŏngnihak (Cheng-Zhu school/philosophy; literally, “learning of principle and human nature”) in the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910). Overall, it established an intellectual agenda for many thinkers and scholars until the late nineteenth century. Part I below is a textual and historical introduction to the Four-Seven issues.

Appendices

For details on these primary sources (in literary Chinese), see the bibliography, parts I and II.

Note on Transliteration, Citation, and Translation Style

Korean terms, names, and titles are romanized according to the standard McCune-Reischauer system, my ongoing preference, and Chinese counterparts according to the more popular Pinyin system. In romanizing the Korean given or literary name, I follow the accepted style of excluding a hyphen between the two characters (syllables) of one’s name: for example, Yi T’oegye (not T’oe-gye); Yi Pyǒngdo (not Pyŏng-do); and so on. In traditional East Asia Confucian and other scholars referred to each other by using given name (myŏng/ming) and literary (pen) name (ho/hao) according to appropriate standards or situations. So whenever a Korean Confucian scholar is mentioned for the first time, the form given is the family name and then the literary name, together with his years in parentheses: e.g., Yi Hwang (T’oegye, 1501–1570), Yi I (Yulgok, 1536–1584), and so on. Names listed in the glossary indicate the name category. I use the literary name if it is better known nationally and globally; e.g., T’oegye for Yi Hwang, and Yulgok for Yi I. Throughout this chapter, we therefore refer to them as “T’oegye” and “Yulgok,” respectively.

For the primary and secondary Korean sources cited, only the Korean titles are given, as is the standard style. To avoid confusion, however, the titles of Chinese sources such as early classics and leading Neo-Confucian writings are given in Chinese only. With some exceptions, the romanized philosophical terms are provided in both languages in parentheses. I give the Korean pronunciation first followed by the Chinese with a slash between them: for example, i/li ([metaphysical] principle), chŏng/qing (emotions, feelings, or emotions and feelings), and sadan/siduan (Four Beginnings).

As is well known, consistency in the translation of Confucian and Neo-Confucian philosophical terms is an elusive goal due to their subtlety or flexibility of meaning, involving diverse implications according to the context. Therefore, my approach to this task is to maintain the standard English renderings of most terms as much as possible. For example, the term i/li is translated as “principle,” which is generally accepted as the best English equivalent in current scholarship. In the Zhu Xi school, it is conceived as the ground of being” or “pattern” that underlies all concrete things and phenomena. However, we need to keep in mind that there are other translations with their corresponding meanings: for example, regarding self-cultivation, the term i/li also signifies moral essence and/or virtues as a set of “guidelines for moral practice,” as was often emphasized by many leading Neo-Confucians such as Zhu Xi and Yi T’oegye.

Finally, on account of the complexity of translating certain terms, I use the following romanized forms when appropriate extensively: i (principle) and ki (material force or vital energy). The glossary offers a list of the key philosophical terms, personal names, and textual titles mentioned in the text or translation. Their Chinese characters (hancha) are not given in the glossary.

All of my quotations translated from the Korean Four-Seven Debate letters are fully documented in the footnotes for the sake of the reader’s convenience and for my preference not to give this frequent citation directly within in the text. I use my own translation unless indicated otherwise; however, I also inform specifically if the translated passages are also available in other books (e.g., Kalton et al. 1994 or Chung 1995). For the sake of textual or translation clarification, the reader will notice a few descriptive words added; for all interpolations, I use square brackets. Furthermore, when any Chinese primary source, classical or Neo-Confucian (e.g., Mencius, Doctrine of the Mean, Zhu Xi, etc.), is quoted or paraphrased, my guiding principle is to cite the Sibu beiyao, as listed in my bibliography. If the quoted passage is already available in English and if it is translated accurately or properly, I adopt it and document its source (e.g., Chan 1963, 1967; Lau 1970; Legge 1970) in the notes; otherwise, I use my own translation.

My annotation of certain primary Korean or Chinese sources includes a few detailed but useful comments in the notes. This is provided for more textual or philosophical discussion, so I encourage the reader to consider them for his/her further reflection beyond my writing or interpretation. I also cite leading modern (secondary) sources in English and other languages, most of which are documented within the text because this format is more convenient without requiring many more additional footnotes. Overall, I use both in-text and footnote citation styles comprehensively in all parts and sections, and this chapter maintains the same styles with convenience and consistency.

Abbreviated Titles Used in the Footnotes and Quotations

For details on these primary sources (in literary Chinese), see the bibliography, parts I and II.

HYCC: :

Han’guk Yuhak charyo chipsŏng

TC: :

T’oegye chŏnsŏ

YC: :

Yulgok chŏnsŏ

ZZDQ: :

Zhuzi daqaun

ZZQS: :

Zhuzi quanshu

ZZWJ: :

Zhuzi wenji

ZZYL: :

Zhuzi yulei

Glossary: Key Terms and Phrases, Textual Titles, and Personal Names Cited

Abbreviations: [g.n.] – given name; [l.n.] – literary name

• Cheng Hao (Mingdao) 程顥 (明道)

• Cheng Yi (Yichuan) 程頤 (伊川)

• ch’ilchŏng/chiqing 七情

• ch’ŏlli/tianli 天理

• chŏng/qing 情

• Chŏng Chiŭn [g.n.] Ch’uman [l.n]) 鄭之雲 (秋巒)

• ch’ŏnmyŏng chi sŏng/tianming zhi xing 天命之性

• Ch’ŏnmyŏng sindo 天命新圖

• Ch’ŏnmyŏng to 天命圖

• Ch’ŏnmyŏng tosŏl 天命圖說

• chugi 主氣

• Chugip’a 主氣派

• churi 主理

• Churip’a 主氣派

• ho/hao 號

• i/li 理

• ibal/lifa 理發

• i chi ponyŏn/li zhi benran 理之本然

• iil punsu/liyi fenshu 理一分殊

• in/ren 仁

• insim/renxin 人心

• inyok/renyu 人慾

• ki/qi 氣

• Ki Taesŭng [g.n.] (Kobong [l.n.]) 奇大升 (高峯)

• kijil/qizhi 氣質

• kijil chi sŏng/qizhi zhi xing 氣質之性

• Kobong 高峯 (see also Ki Taesŭng above)

• Kunzhi ji 困知記 (Luo Qinshun’s work)

• li (i in Korean; see i/li)

• Lu Xiangshan 陸象山

• Luo Qinshun [g.n.] (Zhengan [l.n.]) 羅欽順 (整菴)

• Mengzi jizhu 孟子集註

• pal/fa 發

• palcha/fazhe 發者

• ponyŏn chi i/benran zhi li 本然之理

• ponyŏn chi sŏng/benran zhi xing 本然之性

• pulsŏn/bushan 不善

• qi (ki in Korean; see ki/qi)

• renyu (inyok in Korean) 人慾

• sa/shi 事

• sach’illon 四七論

• sadan/siduan 四端

• sayok/siyu 私欲

• Shushigaku 朱子學

• sim/xin 心

• simhak/xinxue 心學

• Sim t’ong sŏngjŏng tosŏl 心統性情圖說

• sodangyŏn/sodangran 所當然

• soiyŏn/soiran 所以然

• soi palcha/soyi fazhe 所以發者

• Sŏng Hon [g.n.] (Ugye [l.n.]) 成渾 (牛溪)

• Sŏnghak sipto 聖學十圖

• Sŏnghak chipyo 聖學輯要

• sŏngnihak/xingli xue 性理學

• sŏng chi ponsŏn/xing zhi benshan 性之本善

• sŏng chi ponyŏn/xing zhi benran 性之本然

• tianming zhi xing 天命之性

• T’oegye [l.n.] (退溪; see also Yi Hwang [g.n.])

• tosim/daoxin 道心

• Wang Yangming 王陽明

• Yi Hwang [g.n.] (T’oegye [l.n.]) 李滉 (退溪)

• Yi I [g.n.] (Yulgok [l.n.]) 李珥 (栗谷)

• Yi T’oegye [l.n.] (see Yi Hwang above)

• Yi Yulgok (see Yi I above)

• Yulgok [l.n.] (see Yi Yulgok or Yi I above)

• Zhen Dexiu [g.n.] (Xishan [l.n.]) 眞德秀 (西山)

• Zhongyong 中庸

• Zhongyong zhangju 中庸章句

• Zhou Dunyi 周敦頤

• Zhu Xi [g.n.] (Huian [l.n.]) 朱熹 (晦庵) (also known as Zhuzi 朱子)

• Zhuangzi 莊子

• Zhuzi 朱子 (Master Zhu; see also Zhu Xi above)

• Zhuzi daqaun 朱子大全 (see also Bibliography)

• Zhuzi quanshu 朱子全書 (see also Bibliography)

• Zhuzi yulei 朱子語類 (see also Bibliography)

• Zisi 子思