"Confucianism in Korea:
Love of Learning, Training one's Body and Mind
and Governing the Nation"
Background of Lecture:
The working of the heaven does not rest, not even for one minute or a second, constantly renewing
and changing the universe. This is the faithfulness of the heaven. The message here is that we must
renew and change the world to a place where people can live a humanly life. The final goal of
Confucianism is to build a world where people can live a humanly life. In the process where the
heaven renews and changes the universe, if the leaders, who should be leading and teaching the
people, do not work in proportion to the workings of the heaven, the leaders are of no worth. Are the
nations of the world building a world where people can live a humanly life? The key to this question
starts with "Sachin Jonghyeong (事親從兄)", which means to serve one's parents and to respect one's
elder brother and sister.
Ritual and filial piety are indeed the ways in which one should act towards others, but from an
underlying attitude of humaneness. Confucius' concept of humaneness (rén) is probably best
expressed in the Confucian version of the Ethic of reciprocity, or the Golden Rule: "do not do unto
others what you would not have them do unto you."
Confucius never stated whether man was born good or evil, noting that 'By nature men are similar;
by practice men are wide apart' - implying that whether good or bad, Confucius must have perceived
all men to be born with intrinsic similarities, but that man is conditioned and influenced by study and
practise. Xunzi's opinion is that men originally just want what they instinctively want despite
positive or negative results it may bring, so cultivation is needed. In Mencius' view, all men are born
to share goodness such as compassion and good heart, although they may become wicked. The Three
Character Classic begins with "People at birth, are naturally good (kind-hearted)", with root from
Mencius' idea. All the views eventually lead to recognize the importance of human education and
cultivation.
Rén also has a political dimension. If the ruler lacks rén, Confucianism holds, it will be difficult if
not impossible for his subjects to behave humanely. Rén is the basis of Confucian political theory: it
presupposes an autocratic ruler, exhorted to refrain from acting inhumanely towards his subjects. An
inhumane ruler runs the risk of losing the "Mandate of Heaven", the right to rule. A ruler lacking
such a mandate need not be obeyed. But a ruler who reigns humanely and takes care of the people is
to be obeyed strictly, for the benevolence of his dominion shows that he has been mandated by
heaven. Confucius himself had little to say on the will of the people, but his leading follower
Mencius did state on one occasion that the people's opinion on certain weighty matters should be
considered.
Books: Confucian classics guidebooks for professors (Analects of Confucius, Mencius, Great
learning, the Doctrine of the Mean and others).
HA YEON SOON
Scholar Kumgok, HA Yeon Soon
Currently - President of the Kumgok Foundation
1947
Born in Jinju, South Korea (64 years old)
Studied under the scholar, Jee Dong from the age of 4 for 19
years.
1972
Established the KUMGOK school after coming to Seoul.
1973
Established the Dongyu Institute (東儒學會) to revive the
lost studies of Confucianism.
1987
Established the East Studies Institute (with focus on
Confucian Classics).
2000
Established the Incheon school.
2001
Established the Jeju school.
2004
President of the Confucius Institute.
2008
Established the Kumgok Foundation.
President of the foundation (present)
* Scholar Kumgok HA Yeon Soon has given numerous special lectures in South East Asia, EU
countries, prestigious universities of USA and Europe as well as in Korea.