율곡 리기론의 서양철학적 조명

Abstract

This paper concerns Yulgok’s theory of li 理 and ki 氣. The theory is indeed notorious for its difficulty in grasping the exact nature of, and relationship between, li and ki. The number of research papers on Yulgok has shown remarkable quantitative growth, but the quantitative growth does not guarantee the quality of the work. The most serious problem in the study on Neo-Confucianism in general is that scholars tend to summarize and understand his philosophy rather than attempt to evaluate the validity of it. Summarizing and understanding of a theory is required at primary level, but, as research results are accumulated to some extent, the process of evaluating a theory is also necessary. The purpose of the evaluation of a theory in terms of new methods of research and analysis is not only to find out whether there is anything worthwhile to preserving, but also to see the real value of the preservation. For this reason, I shall adopt some concepts and theories from Western philosophy and apply them to Yulgok’s theory. Above all, I shall focus on answering the question whether his theory is viewed as li-ki dualism or monism. Yulgok rejects any movability or activity to li and its separate and independent existence from ki, but never doubts its existence. As a result, I conclude that his theory is viewed not as a dualism but rather as a monism, and that it might be more properly classified as a property dualism of some sort. In doing this, I do not presuppose that the application of Western concepts and theories are absolutely necessary and good for understanding Yulgok’s theory or Neo-Confucianism in general, but suggest that we need to see whether there is any merit that we can get from that application.