The Great Synthesis of Wang Yangming Neo-Confucianism in Korea: The Chonon (Testament) by Chong Chedu (Hagok)

The Great Synthesis of Wang Yangming Neo-Confucianism in Korea: The Chonn (Testament) by Chng Chedu (Hagok) is the first study in a Western language of Chng Chedu (Hagok, 1649–1736) and Korean Wang Yangming Neo-Confucianism. It includes an annotated scholarly translation of the Chonn, Hagoks most important work on Confucian self-cultivation, and a comprehensive introduction to his life, scholarship, and thought. Chung concludes that Hagok was an original scholar in the Sungnihak school, a great transmitter and interpreter of Yangming Neo-Confucianism, and a creative thinker whose integration of these two traditions inaugurated a distinctively Korean system of ethics and spirituality.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 410 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

The Great Synthesis of Wang Yangming Neo-Confucianism in Korea: The Chonn (Testament) by Chng Chedu (Hagok) is a groundbreaking work in Western language scholarship on Chng Chedu (Hagok, 1649-1736) and Korean Wang Yangming Neo-Confucianism. Hagok, an esteemed philosopher, founded the unconventional Yangming school (Yangmynghak) in Korea, leaving a lasting impact on the philosophical landscape. This comprehensive volume includes an annotated scholarly translation of the Chonn 存言 (Testament), Hagoks most significant and captivating work on Confucian self-cultivation. Moreover, Chung offers a comprehensive introduction to Hagoks life, scholarship, and thought, particularly his profound synthesis of Wangs philosophy of mind cultivation and moral practice in relation to the classical teachings of Confucius and Mencius. He also critically analyzes Zhu Xi Neo-Confucianism and its Sungnihak tradition. In conclusion, Chung establishes Hagok as an original scholar within the Sungnihak school, a masterful transmitter and interpreter of Yangming Neo-Confucianism in Korea, and a creative thinker who pioneered a distinctive Korean system of ethics and spirituality. This book not only sheds new light on the breadth and depth of Korean Neo-Confucianism but also serves as a valuable resource for philosophy, East Asian studies, Confucian studies, Korean religion, and philosophy.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793614711