Toward Critical Confucianism: Woman as a Method

Abstract

Critical Confucianism I try to advocate is based on the idea that Confucianism is multi-lateral having dynamic movements corresponding to the demands of historical contingency of a nation and thus yet to be newly formed upon historical changes. The perspective of women provides us with a theoretical platform where we could have a unified look at Korean philosophy. I am using the concept of woman here as a method, that is, a method by which I could build a framework in which traditional Korean Confucian philosophy could be located. I explore the possibility of critical Confucianism by taking a women’s perspective concerning the question of human nature issued in Horak Debate in the late period of Joseon. The debate is concerned with the sameness of the natures of humans and things. Ki-oriented philosophers tended toward the view that takes the nature of humans and the nature of things to be the same. I claim that ki philosophy disposed of transcendent li could make the philosophical base for the philosophy of liberation in Korea. Im Yoonjidang showed us a way.