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Vol.56 No.2
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Reassessment of the Late Joseon Neo-Confucian Scholar Yi Ik’s Attitude toward Western Learning: With a Focus on His Perception of the Lord of Heaven

Korea Journal / Korea Journal, (P)0023-3900; (E)2733-9343
2016, v.56 no.2, pp.111-133
https://doi.org/10.25024/kj.2016.56.2.111

(2016). Reassessment of the Late Joseon Neo-Confucian Scholar Yi Ik’s Attitude toward Western Learning: With a Focus on His Perception of the Lord of Heaven. Korea Journal, 56(2), 111-133, https://doi.org/10.25024/kj.2016.56.2.111
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Abstract

This article aims to investigate how Yi Ik, a late Joseon Neo-Confucian scholar, formed his view toward Christianity and the concept of the Lord of Heaven (Cheonju). Yi viewed Seohak (Western Learning) postively, but his attitude toward Christianity remained very selective. For instance, while he agreed with the Jesuits’ claim that the biblical Lord of Heaven was equivalent to the Confucian Sangje, he rejected the ideas of heaven, hell, and spiritual immortality based on his Neo-Confucian convictions. Although Yi agreed with the Jesuit assertion that “the Lord of Heaven is the same as Sangje,” he modified this concept of god according to his Neo-Confucian philosophy and perceived it as something analogous to the Principle of Heaven (cheolli). This essay will show that Yi’s attention to Christianity originated from his academic objective of enriching the study of Neo-Confucianism. Therefore, the majority of scholars of Korean studies may need to reassess the established theory that Seohak motivated Yi Ik to go beyond Neo-Confucianism and advance toward modern Silhak (Practical Learning).

keywords
Yi Ik, Cheonju (Lord of Heaven), Sangje, Seohak (Western Learning), Silhak (Practical Learning), Seongnihak (Neo-Confucianism), modernity

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