간재 전우의 자존의식과 강학활동

Abstract

This paper explored the spirit of Seonbi from Ganjae Jeon Woo (艮齋 田愚), a Confucian scholar who was devoted to preserving Confucian culture through his sense of self-esteem in relation to traditional culture and education around the dawn of the 20th century. First, I identified in Ganjae one single aspect of an intellectual who lived through the chaotic period of rapid collapse of traditional value set. Albeit fame he earned early on, Ganjae went through a series of anger and frustration. The society had changed into the one that would not embrace his strong ambition to bring traditional values into full fruition. His sense of self-esteem that desired to recover Confucian-based spirits and civilization of the Joseon Dynasty demonstrates the spirit of scholar trying to hold our cultural identify right. Second, I noticed education he chose; and aspiration for the new age he presented and laid the foundation for as a means to preserve Confucian value. Even in extreme situations in which future seemed elusive, he never gave up having seed of hope sown to flourish. An idea that any psychology and behavior should at all times be judged primarily based on moral compass or value of norms laid the theoretical groundwork of his such behavior. And this is considered as one of his major academic achievements. Academic activities of literary figures following Ganjae have influenced the academic circle for generations. Albeit limits in getting the messages through to the real world, strict self-discipline and call for awakening about human nature that Ganjae and other literary figures presented formed a type of ethical values that was never swayed even in the time of rapid transformation.