Yi I

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Korean spelling
Hangeul 이이
Hanja 李 珥
Revised
Romanization 		II
McCune-
Reischauer 		Yi I
stage name
Hangeul 율곡
Hanja 栗
Revised
Romanization 		Yul-gok
McCune-
Reischauer 		Yul-gok
Honorary name
Hangeul 숙헌
Hanja 叔
Revised
Romanization 		Suk-heon
McCune-
Reischauer 		Suk-hŏn
Yi I, painted by an unknown artist

Yi I (born December 26, 1536 in Gangneung ; † 1584 ) was a Korean philosopher and writer during the Joseon Dynasty . Together with the older Yi Hwang (Yi Toi-gye) he is considered one of the two particularly outstanding scholars of his time. Other contemporary scholars were Seong Hon and Jo Shik . His writer's name is Yul-gok (Valley of the Chestnuts). It is therefore often Yi Yul-gok (이율곡 [ijulgok] ) or Yul-gok Yi I called. Yi I is not only known as a scholar, but also as a respected politician and reformer who opposed the corruption that was widespread at the time.

His mother Shin Saimdang was a remarkably educated and confident woman and a versatile artist for her time. She encouraged her son intensively and is considered the ideal of a good mother in Korea.

Life

Yi I was born in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province , in 1536 . His father was the Fourth Councilor of State ( jwachanseong 좌찬성) and his mother, Shin Saimdang , was a highly regarded painter, calligrapher, and poet. He was also the great-nephew of Yi Gi (이기), who was Prime Minister from 1549 to 1551 .

While his mother was pregnant with him, she is said to have dreamed of a white dragon. She interpreted this as a prediction that her child will one day be something very special. Accordingly, she later transfigured and encouraged her son. It is reported that Yi I read all the Confucian classics by the age of seven . At the age of 13 he passed his first civil service examination. When he was 16, his mother died. Yi I then withdrew to the Kŭmgangsan (German: Diamond Mountains) and studied Buddhism intensively for three years . An affront for a Confucian family. He returned from the mountains at the age of 20 and devoted himself again to the studies of Confucianism .

At 22 he married. The following year he visited the elderly scholar Yi Hwang in Dosan Seowon, an academy founded by him in the area of ​​what is now Andong . It remains the only personal meeting of the two. In the following years he passed further special tests with distinction. His thesis entitled Cheondochaek (Hangeul: 천도 책 , Hanja: 天道 策 , Book on the Heavenly Path ), is widely regarded as a literary masterpiece. It demonstrates his extensive understanding of history and Confucian statecraft as well as his basic understanding of Daoism . He received 9 further awards in the context of the following official examinations. When he was 26, his father died too.

From the age of 29, Yi I works in various government offices. During this time he is said to have taught the young prince and later King Seonjo . He was also involved in drawing up the annals during the reign of King Myeongjong .

In 1568, after Seonjo had ascended the throne, Yi I traveled to China in the Ming Dynasty in the function of a notarial officer ( seojanggwan , Hangeul: 서장관 , Hanja: 書 狀 官 ).

At around 40 years of age, he had developed a profound judgment and the trust of the king due to his many years of extensive experience in various areas of administration and politics and was one of the central figures in politics. His many writings and reports played an important role at the royal court. However, when political conflicts escalated in 1576 and King Seonjo took an uncompromising position in them, it became increasingly difficult for Yi I to mediate without getting between the fronts. In contrast to one of his predecessors, Jo Gwang-jo , who had been executed on account of intrigue and defamation, Yi I drew the consequences in good time, resigned from the king's service and returned to his hometown. In the following years, he devoted himself to his studies, teaching students and wrote several books.

At 45 he returned to the royal court and held several ministerial posts. In doing so, he wrote a large number of writings in which he documented important political events and from which one can measure how he continued to endeavor to pacify the conflicts that continued to spread. However, King Seonjo continued to hold a relentless position, and it became difficult again for Yi I that his mediation efforts were not construed as treason. In 1583 he left the court again and died a year later.

According to an unconfirmed report, Yi I had a pavilion built near a ford through the Imjin River and instructed his heirs to set it on fire in case the king had to flee Seoul . The fire was supposed to serve as a landmark for the king to find the ford quickly and to escape his pursuers. This is said to have been implemented during the Imjin War (1592–1598), a few years after Yi I's death.

Act

Yi I was not only a philosophical scholar but also a social reformer. His teachings are most evident in contrast to the second great neo-Confucian thinker of his day, Yi Hwang . Both agree in many respects, e.g. B. in the fight against corruption, but they also differ in important points of view.

Neoconfucianism regards Ki (also: Qi , in the broadest sense: life energy or reality) and Li (in the broadest sense: the ordering principles) as poles that oppose each other and both complement and conflict with each other.

Yi Hwang Yi I
Yi Hwang considers “Li” (that is, order) to be the more important of the two poles Yi I gives preference to “Ki” (ie life energy or reality), which the order then gives shape and structure in the second step and directs the life energy in paths.
Yi Hwang is known for being staunchly principled. But it also makes him the target and victim of intrigues again and again and he becomes bitter about it in the course of his life. He also leaves the court several times after such attacks, but usually fails to do so in good time. Yi I, on the other hand, takes a more tactical approach, leaves the royal court before falling out of favor and returns when he sees a chance to implement his ideas. This allows him to be more critical of the rulers at times and to demand that you adhere to Confucian virtues.
Yi Hwang thinks people are bad by nature; he takes the position that people must therefore be brought up for the better through a strict upbringing and severe punishments. Yi I, on the other hand, who grew up in a very caring family home and was strongly idealized by his mother, basically considers people to be good and believes that people act immorally primarily out of need. He believes that one of the main ways to change people for the better is by taking steps to alleviate their plight. The fact that after the death of his mother he spent three years studying Buddhism and its image of man could also have contributed to this attitude .
Yi Hwang advocates principles Yi I represents ideals

Yi I is also known for his foresight in matters of external security . He suggested strengthening the army in order to be better prepared for attacks by the Japanese. However, his proposal was rejected by the central administration. However, a few years after his death, his fears were confirmed by the Imjin War (1592–598).

selected Writings

Yi Is published writings include 193 papers, 276 publications in 6 languages ​​and 2,236 library hits. Including:

  • Questions and answers on the eastern lake. Eleven chapters on political reform . (Korean, original title: Hangeul: 동호 문답 , Hanja: 東湖 問答 .).
  • Memorandum in ten thousand words. Recommendations on Confucian learning and self-cultivation and that ethical rules also apply to government activities . (Korean, original title: Hangeul: 만언 봉사 , Hanja: 萬 言 封 事 .).
  • The essence of the wise men’s observation. Basics of Confucian ethics, self-cultivation and the craft of government . (Korean, original title: Hangeul: 성학 집요 , Hanja: 聖 學 輯 要 .).
  • The secret to overcoming ignorance. Systematic guidance for learning . (Korean, original title: Hangeul: 격몽요결 , Hanja: 擊 蒙 要訣 .).
  • Diary of the lectures before the throne . Records of political incidents and events. (Korean, original title: Hangeul: 경연 일기 , Hanja: 經筵 日記 .).
  • The complete works of Yulgok . Collection of the writings he left behind, compiled after his death. (Korean, original title: Hangeul: 율곡 전서 , Hanja: 栗 谷 全書 .).

Honors

Appointments in his honor mostly refer to his stage name Yul-gok

Yi I on the 5000 won note that is currently in circulation
  • Yulgongno, a street in downtown Seoul , is named after him,
  • It is shown on the 5000 won note that is currently in circulation
  • The Taekwondo form run for the 5th Kup (green-blue belt) is named after him. The 38 movements of this form should remind of his birthplace Gangneung near the 38th parallel.
  • The "Yulgok Project" is a project to modernize the South Korean military. It was also named after him.

See also

literature

  • Edward YJ Chung: The Korean Neo-Confucianism of Yi T ' oegye and Yi Yulgok: a Reappraisal of the' Four-Seven Thesis' and Its Practical Implications for Self-Cultivation . State University of New York Press, Albany 1995, ISBN 0-585-09094-7 , pp. 26-32 (English).
  • JaHyun Kim Haboush, Martina Deuchler: Culture and the State in Late Chosŏn Korea . Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1999, ISBN 0-674-17982-X .
  • Peter H. Lee: Sourcebook of Korean Civilization . tape 1 . Columbia University Press, New York 1993, ISBN 0-231-07912-5 .
  • Gründel: A star in the Far East: the Korean scholar Yul-Gok . Self-published, Wörrstadt 2004, ISBN 3-00-013843-9 (Korean, a biography of the scholar Yul-Gok, Yi Yi (I), expanded by the translator).
  • Yul Gok, Yi Yi: Guide for the ignorant youth . Self-published, Wörrstadt 2005, ISBN 3-00-015576-7 (Korean, original title: 격몽요결 擊 蒙 要 訣 . Translated by Gründel, Yang-Sook nee Yi von Deoksu).
  • Yul Gok, Yi Yi: Lyrical journey into the diamond mountains of Korea Keum-gang-san-shi . Eigenvarlag, Wörrstadt 2004, ISBN 3-00-017419-2 (Korean, original title: 율곡 선생 의 금강산 시 栗 谷 先 生 金 剛 山 詩 . Translated by Yang-Sook Gründel, nee Yi von Deoksu).

Web links

Wikisource: Yi I  - Sources and full texts (English)

Individual evidence

References in the Doosan Encyclopedia

The Doosan Encyclopedia is a standard multi-volume Korean reference work. The content has also been freely available online since 2003. The encyclopedia is written in Korean ( Hangeul ). The following entries in the encyclopedia are used as sources in this article;

  1. ↑ a b c d 이이 (Yi I). Retrieved June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  2. ↑ 동호 문답 (Dongho Mundap). Naver , accessed June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  3. ↑ 만언 봉사 (Maneon Bongsa). Naver, accessed June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  4. ↑ 성학 집요 (Seonhak Jibyo). Retrieved June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  5. ↑ 격몽요결 (Gyeokmong Yogyel). Retrieved June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  6. ↑ 경연 일기 (Gyeongyeon Ilgi). Retrieved June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  7. ↑ 율곡 전서 (Yulgok Jeonseo). Retrieved June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  8. ↑ 율곡로 (Yulgongno). Retrieved June 12, 2014 (Korean).

Remaining sites

  1. ↑ Noh Daehwan: The Eclectic Development of Neo-Confucianism and Statecraft from the 18th to the 19th Century. Korea Journal, 2003, accessed June 12, 2014 .
  2. ↑ a b 이이 (Yi I). In: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. The Academy of Korean Studies, accessed June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  3. ↑ 이은직 (Lee Eunjik): Important masters of the Joseon period . tape 2 . Ilbit Publishing, Seoul 2005, ISBN 89-5645-087-0 (Korean, original title: 조선 명인전 2. Translated by 정홍준 (Jeong Hongjun)).
  4. ↑ 동호 문답 (Dongho Mundap). Naver , accessed June 12, 2014 (Korean).
  5. ↑ 최범서 (Choi Beomseo): 야사 로 보는 조선 의 역사 2 (The Unofficial History of the Joseon Period) . tape 2 . Garam Publishing, Seoul 2003, ISBN 89-8435-143-1 .
  6. ↑ Lee Hyun-hee, Park Sung-soo, Yoon Nae-hyun: New History of Korea . Jimoondang, Paju 2005, ISBN 89-88095-85-5 , pp. 393 .
  7. ↑ Yi, I 1536-1584. WorldCat Identities, accessed June 12, 2014 .
  8. ^ Currency. (No longer available online.) Bank of Korea, archived from original on December 31, 2014 ; accessed on June 12, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / eng.bok.or.kr
  9. ↑ ITF taekwondo patterns - your fifth pattern Yul Gok. (No longer available online.) Taekwiondo-information.org, archived from the original on June 2, 2010 ; accessed on June 12, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.taekwondo-information.org
  10. ↑ 차영구 (Cha Yeonggu): Theory and Actuality of National Defense Policies . Oruem, Seoul 2002, ISBN 89-7778-156-6 , pp. 86 (Korean, original title: 국방 정책 의 이론 과 실제 .).
Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Korean. Yi is the family name here, I is the first name.
personal data
SURNAME Yi, I
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 이이 (Korean, Hangeul); 李 珥 (Korean, Hanja); I, I (Revised Romanization)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Korean Confucian philosopher and writer during the Joseon Dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH December 26, 1536
PLACE OF BIRTH Gangneung
DATE OF DEATH 1584