Admission requirements
BA students in Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives, who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the mandatory components of the first and second year of their bachelor’s programme, including World Philosophies: Modern Europe, Concepts of Selfhood, Language and Thought, and at least one of the courses World Philosophies: China, World Philosophies: India, World Philosophies: Africa, World Philosophies: Middle East.
Pre-master’s students in Philosophy who are in possession of an admission statement and who have to complete an advanced seminar, to be selected from package D.
Description
This course presents a thorough exploration of the philosophical evolution of the Korean Confucian tradition during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Through our study, we aim to deepen our comprehension of Neo-Confucianism, which has served as a cornerstone for ethical and sociopolitical ideals across China, Korea, and Japan, as well as its enduring impact on contemporary Korean culture.
We will first delve into the philosophical convictions of Confucian scholars during the early Joseon period (15th-16th centuries) regarding their pursuit of Sagehood, known as “Sage learning (Seonghak),” while laying the groundwork for the state’s sociopolitical systems based on Confucian principles. By analyzing pivotal philosophical debates of the era, such as the Confucian-Buddhist debate, the Four-Seven debate, and the Horak debate, we will gain insight into the efforts of Joseon scholars to establish coherence and completeness within Neo-Confucian metaphysics and ethics.
Moreover, we will explore the changes of intellectual traditions in later Joseon (17-19th centuries) to figure out the philosophical diversifications in East Asia during this period. We will examine the critical re-investigation of orthodox Neo-Confucianism with an aim for sociopolitical reformation, known as and the influence of “Western Learning (Seohak)” that enabled scientific approaches to the Confucian traditions. Above all, this course will provide such an opportunity to look into the actual interplay between philosophical ideals and sociopolitical practices within the historical contexts that we can broaden our anthropologic scopes.
Furthermore, we will investigate the shifts in intellectual traditions to discern the philosophical diversifications occurring in East Asia during the later Joseon period (17th-19th centuries). Our exploration will encompass the critical re-evaluation of orthodox Neo-Confucianism for sociopolitical reformation, known as “Practical Learning (Silhak),” as well as the impact of “Western Learning (Seohak)” that enabled scientific approaches to Confucian traditions. This course offers an opportunity to examine the dynamic interplay between philosophical ideals and sociopolitical practices within historical contexts, thereby broadening our intellectual scopes.
Course objectives
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
development of Neo-Confucianism in East Asia with a focus on Korean intellectual tradition;
philosophical debates regarding Neo-Confucian metaphysics and ethics;
the association between Confucian moral self-cultivation and sociopolitical reform.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
formulate critical responses to the philosophical texts and ideas in a cross-cultural context;
critically analyze notions and arguments presented in primary and secondary resources;
present this knowledge in oral and written forms (presentations and paper).
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminars
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Assessment
Final essay
Presentation
Attendance and participation in course discussion
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Final essay (70%)
Class presentation (20%)
Attendance and participation (10%)
Resit
The resit will consist of an opportunity to resubmit the final semester paper that was not sufficient. The grades for other exam components (proposal, presentation, attendance and participation) remain in place. Students who have obtained a satisfactory overall grade for the course cannot take the resit.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
The reading list will be posted on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudymap is not possible for this course. Students are requested to submit their preferences for the third-year electives by means of an online registration form. They will receive the instruction and online registration form by email (uMail account); in June for courses scheduled in semester 1, and in December for courses scheduled in semester 2. Registration in uSis will be taken care of by the Education Administration Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
All other information.