Korean Women Philosophers and the Ideal of a Female Sage: Essential Writings of Im Yungjidang and Gang Jeongildang

Korean Women Philosophers and the Ideal of a Female Sage explores the lives and ideas of two female Korean Confucian philosophers from the late Joseon Dynasty, arguing that women are as capable as men of attaining the highest forms of intellectual and moral achievement. It provides an analysis of the social, political, and historical factors that surrounded these women and informs their writing, producing original philosophical ideas that remain of great value to the field today.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 28 November 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Korean Women Philosophers and the Ideal of a Female Sage delves into the lives and ideas of two remarkable female Korean Confucian philosophers from the late Joseon Dynasty (18th-19th century), Im Yunjidang (1721-1793) and Gang Jeongildang (1772-1832). Through a comprehensive examination of their writings, the book explores how these philosophers contribute to contemporary philosophical inquiry. Both philosophers are renowned for their belief that women possess the same intellectual and moral potential as men, enabling them to attain the highest forms of achievement and become female sages (yeoseong). Their reasoning is rooted in distinctively Confucian philosophical claims about the inherent moral nature shared by all human beings.

Hwa Yeong Wang and Philip J. Ivanhoe provide an insightful analysis of the social, political, and historical factors that shaped these women's lives and influenced their writing. This volume explores how these female philosophers navigated the challenges posed by the deeply patriarchal culture in which they lived. Im Yunjidang and Gang Jeongildang's resistance and response to the patriarchal context of late Joseon society inform the content and style of their writings, resulting in original philosophical ideas that continue to hold great value in the field today.

By offering elegant English translations, thorough annotations, and an analysis of the cultural and historical context of these writings, Wang and Ivanhoe provide a nuanced, informative, and invaluable exploration of the work of these two notable Korean female philosophers. This volume appeals to readers across various disciplines, including Women's Studies, Philosophy, East Asian Studies, Literature, and more, expanding the current canon and offering perspectives on philosophy that have been overlooked for far too long.

Weight: 536g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197508695