Bak Jega (; 1750–1805) was a scholar of school of
Practical learning (Silhak) in the late
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
. He was a student of
Bak Jiwon.
Background
Bak Jega was a famous Silhak scholar in the late Joseon Dynasty. He was a student of another famous Silhak scholar, Park Jiwon. Bak Jega was born in 1750 and died in 1815. Bak Jega went to Qing (also referred to as "Ching"), which was the name of China at that time, after becoming a student of Bak Jiwon. He learned about China’s modern culture, advanced techniques, and its economic system while there. After returning from Qing, Bak Jiwon worked in
Jiphyeonjeon
The Hall of Worthies, or Jiphyeonjeon (; ), was a royal research institute set up by Sejong the Great of the Korean Joseon Dynasty in March 1420. Set up during the beginning of his reign, King Sejong staffed the Hall of Worthies with talented sc ...
, a place where important scholars and scientists worked, during the time of King
Jeongjo
Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (Korean language, Korean: 이산; Hanja: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (Korean language, Korean: 정조대왕; Hanja: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarc ...
.
Legacy
Because the Joseon government supported ‘Yuhak', a neo-Confucianist conservative ideology, Bak Jega had an important role and his desire was to make
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
rich in science and commerce.
He authored several books; the compilation is titled, ''Jeongyungyp.'' He wrote about making the commerce system stronger in ''Umyoungnomchogo'' and ''Gunyeonjib''. At that time, it was quite shocking to believe in
Silhak
Silhak was a Korean Confucian social reform movement in late Joseon Dynasty. ''Sil'' means "actual" or "practical", and ''hak'' means "studies" or "learning". It developed in response to the increasingly metaphysical nature of Neo-Confucianism ( ...
, whose ideas opposed Yuhak.
Bak Jega developed the way of agriculture, and he also enhanced some of the farming machinery to cultivate plants.
Bukhak theory
He argued that using the cart to develop local commerce and at the same time develop strong ships to actively enter foreign trade in his book,
. He called for improving the reality and proactively embracing the culture of the Qing Dynasty. He argued for the abolition of Joseon's status system, and considered commerce and industry important. He said, " If we actively take advantage of the natural environment of Joseon, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and develop it into maritime trade, the national power will become strong and the livelihood of the people will be stabilized."
Books
* Bukhagui (북학의 北學議) :
* Jeongyujip (정유집 貞否集)
* Myeongnongchogo (명농초고 明農草稿)
* Hangaekgeonyeonjip (한객건연집 韓客巾衍集)
* Sigo (시고 詩稿)
* Muyedobotongji
Commissioned in 1790 by King Jeongjo (r. 1740–1810), the ''Muyedobotongji'' (or ''Muye Dobo Tong Ji''; translating to "Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts")
expanded on the eighteen weapons systems identified in the '' Muyeshinbo' ...
References
Further reading
* Kim Haboush, JaHyun and Martina Deuchler
Martina Deuchler (born 1935 in Zurich) is a Swiss academic and author. She was a professor of Korean studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) from 1991 to 2001.
Profile
Martina Deuchler developed her interest in Korea by ...
(1999). ''Culture and the State in Late Chosŏn Korea.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 40926015
* Lee, Peter H. (1993). ''Sourcebook of Korean Civilization'', Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press. ; ;
OCLC 26353271
* Noh, Daehwan
''Korea Journal.'' Winter 2003.
External links
조선일보 2010.02.23
1997년 08월의 문화인물:초정 박제가(楚亭 朴齊家)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bak, Jega
1750 births
Neo-Confucian scholars
Korean educators
Joseon scholar-officials
Korean scholars
Korean Confucianists
18th-century Korean philosophers
1815 deaths
18th-century Korean poets