Yi Hwang (January 3, 1502– January 3, 1571) was the most important Korean philosopher, writer, and

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

scholar of the

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 r ...

. He was a figure of the

Neo-Confucian Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in t ...

literati, established the Yeongnam School and set up the

Dosan Seowon Dosan Seowon (alternatively, ''Tosansowon'') was established in 1574 in what is present day Andong, South Korea, in memory of and four years after the death of Korean Confucian scholar Yi Hwang by some of his disciples and other Korean Confucian ...

, a private Confucian academy.Yi Hwang
at Doosan Encyclopedia Yi Hwang is often referred to by his pen name Toegye ("Retreating Creek"). His

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theob ...

was Gyeongho.Yi Hwang
at Encyclopedia of Korean Culture He is considered the most important philosopher of Korea - he is honored by printing his portrait on the (most often used) 1000 Won banknote, on the reverse of which one can see an image of his school, Dosan Seaowon. His interpretation of Neo-Confucianism was influential not only in Korea, but also in Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and is now being studied even in the mainland China. His main work, ''Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning'', originally published in

classical Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...

language, has been already translated into modern Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, English, French, German, Russian and Polish. Some of his writings were looted by the Japanese military during the Japanese invasion of Korea.

Life

Yi Hwang was born in Ongye-ri, Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1501. He belonged to the Jinbo Yi clan, and was the youngest son among eight children.Yi Hwang
at The Academy of Korean Studies A child prodigy, he learned the

Analects of Confucius The ''Analects'' (; ; Old Chinese: '' ŋ(r)aʔ''; meaning "Selected Sayings"), also known as the ''Analects of Confucius'', the ''Sayings of Confucius'', or the ''Lun Yu'', is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings a ...

from his uncle at age twelve and admiring the poetry of

Tao Yuanming Tao Yuanming (; 365–427), also known as Tao Qian (; also T'ao Ch'ien in Wade-Giles), was a Chinese poet and politician who was one of the best-known poets during the Six Dynasties period. He was born during the Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420 ...

, started writing poetry. His poem ''Yadang'' (hangul: 야당, hanja: 野塘, "Pond in the Wild"), written at the age of eighteen, is considered one of his major works. Around the age of twenty, he immersed himself in the study of I Ching and

Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in t ...

.Yi Hwang
at Britannica Korea He came to

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

(then known as Hanseong) when he was 23 years old and entered the national academy

Sungkyunkwan Sungkyunkwan was the foremost educational institution in Korea during the late Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. Today, it sits in its original location, at the south end of the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus of Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul ...

in 1523. In 1527 he passed preliminary exams to become a government official, but re-entered Sungkyunkwan at the age of 33 and socialized with the scholar

Kim In-hu Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...

. He passed the civil service exams with top honors in 1534 and continued his scholarly pursuits whilst working for the government. He returned to his childhood home at the death of his mother at the age of 37 and mourned her for 3 years. He was appointed various positions from the age of 39 and sometimes held multiple positions including

secret royal inspector The secret royal inspector in Korea was a temporary position unique to the Joseon Dynasty, in which an undercover official directly appointed by the king was sent to local provinces to monitor government officials and look after the populace whil ...

, or ''Amhaengeosa'' (hangul: 암행어사, hanja: 暗行御史), in 1542. His integrity made him relentless as he took part in purges of corrupt government officials. On numerous occasions he was even exiled from the capital for his firm commitment to principle. Yi Hwang was disillusioned by the power struggles and discord in the royal court during the later years of King Jungjong's reign and left political office. However, he was continuously brought out of retirement and held several positions away from the royal court and in rural areas. He was the governor of Danyang at 48 and governor of

Punggi Punggi-eup (Hangeul: 풍기읍; Hanja: ) is a town in the outer regions of Yeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. It has a population of about 16,000. A portion of Sobaeksan National Park and the Memorial Park for the Korea Liberation C ...

afterwards. During his days at Pungi he redeveloped and improved the private

academy Baekundong Seowon established by his predecessor Ju Se-bung. He was named ''Daesaseong'' (대사성, head instructor) of Sungkyunkwan in 1552 but turned down other prominent offices later on. In 1560, he established the ''Dosan

seodang Seodang were private village schools providing elementary education during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Background They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7-16 years of age, bu ...

'' and engrossed himself in meditation, study, and teaching his disciples. King Myeongjong tried to coax him back to political office, but he was steadfast in his devotion to study. He finally returned to the royal court at 67 upon the king's request when envoys from the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

came to Seoul. When King Myeongjong suddenly died, his successor

King Seonjo Seonjo of Joseon (26 November 1552 – 16 March 1608) was the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1567 to 1608. He was known for encouraging Confucianism and renovating state affairs at the beginning of his reign. However, politi ...

appointed Yi Hwang as ''Yejo panseo'' (hangul: 예조판서, hanja: 禮曹判書, minister of rites) but he declined and returned to his home once again. However, the king continuously called Yi Hwang back and unable to refuse further, he resumed office at the age of 68 and wrote many advisory documents including ''Seonghak sipdo'' (hangul: 성학십도, hanja: 聖學十圖, "Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning"). He also gave lectures from the teachings of

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

Confucian scholars Cheng Yi and

Cheng Hao Chéng Hào (, 1032–1085), Courtesy name Bóchún (), was a Chinese philosopher and politician from Luoyang, China. In his youth, he and his younger brother Cheng Yi were students of Zhou Dunyi, one of the architects of Neo-Confucian c ...

, I Ching, Analects, and

Zhang Zai Zhang Zai () (1020–1077) was a Chinese philosopher and politician. He is most known for laying out four ontological goals for intellectuals: to build up the manifestations of Heaven and Earth's spirit, to build up good life for the populace, to ...

in royal presence. He finally retired from politics at the age of 70 and died in 1570. During forty years of public life he served four kings ( Jungjong, Injong, Myeongjong and

Seonjo Seonjo of Joseon (26 November 1552 – 16 March 1608) was the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1567 to 1608. He was known for encouraging Confucianism and renovating state affairs at the beginning of his reign. However, politi ...

). On his death, Yi Hwang was posthumously promoted to the highest ministerial rank, and his mortuary tablet housed in a Confucian shrine as well as in the shrine of

. His disciples and followers reorganized the ''Dosan

'' to

in 1574.

Teachings

Yi Hwang was the author of many books on Confucianism. He followed the dualistic

teachings of

Chu Hsi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...

, which views ''i'' (Chinese "li") and ''gi'' (Chinese "qi") as the forces of foundation of the universe. Yi Hwang placed emphasis on the ''i'', the formative element, as the existential force that determines ''gi''. This school of thought contrasted with the school that focused on the concrete element of ''gi'', established by Yi Hwang's counterpart

Yi I Yi Yi (; December 26, 1536 – February 27, 1584) was a Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi I is often referred to by his pen name Yulgok (" Chestnut valley"). He was also a politicianYu Seong-ryong Ryu Seong-ryong (November 1542 – May 1607), was a scholar-official of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He held many responsibilities including the Chief State Councillor position in 1592. He was a member of the "Eastern faction", and a follower o ...

and

Kim Seong-il Kim Seong-il (; 1538–1593) was a Joseon dynasty politician and ambassador. He was a member of the Eastern faction in the Joseon court. He served as envoy to Japan in a Tongsinsa, along with Ho Song and Hwang Yun-gil in 1590, and met with th ...

. Yi Hwang was also talented in calligraphy and poetry, writing a collection of ''

sijo ''Sijo'' () is a Korean traditional poetic form that emerged in the Goryeo period, flourished during the Joseon Dynasty, and is still written today. Bucolic, metaphysical, and cosmological themes are often explored. The three lines average 14 ...

'', a three line poetic form popular with the literati of the Joseon period.

Selected works

These are some of Yi Hwang's published writings: * 1599 — 退溪全書 * 1681 — ''The Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning'' (hangul: 성학십도, hanja: 聖學十圖) * 1746 — 退溪集 * ''Outline and Explanations of the Works of

Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...

'' (hangul: 주자서절요, hanja: 朱子書節要) * ''Commentary on the Heart Sutra'' (hangul: 심경석의, hanja: 心經釋義) * ''History of

in the

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

, Yuan and

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...

Dynasties'' (hangul:송계원명이학통록, hanja:宋季元明理學通錄) * ''The Four-Seven Debate'' (hangul: 사칠속편, hanja: 四七續篇): discusses Mencius's philosophy with

Gi Dae-seung GI or Gi may refer to: Military * G.I., a nickname (from galvanized iron) for U.S. Army soldiers Arts and entertainment * GI (album), ''GI'' (album), an album by the Germs * Gi (Captain Planet character) * ''Game Informer'', a magazine * Global I ...

Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning

The Neo-Confucian literature of ''Seonghaksipdo'' was composed by Yi Hwang in 1568 for

. It is a series of lectures for rulers through examples of past sages. Traditional Confucians had affirmed that any man could learn to become a sage; the new Confucians made the ideal of sagehood real and attainable, just as enlightenment was for Buddhists. Yi Hwang intended to present that path by starting each chapter with a diagram and related text drawn from Zhu Xi or another leading authority, and concluding with a brief commentary. He intended for “Ten Diagrams” to be made into a ten paneled standing screen, as well as a short book, so that the mind of the viewer could be constantly engaged with its contents, until it totally assimilated the material.

Family

*Father: Yi Sik (12 September 1463 - 13 June 1502) (이식) *Mother: **Biological: Lady Park of the Chuncheon Park clan (? - 1537) (춘천 박씨) – Yi Sik's 2nd wife. **Adoptive: Lady Kim of the Munso Kim clan (문소 김씨) – Yi Sik's 1st wife. Wives and their issue(s): #Lady Heo of the

Gimhae Heo clan Gimhae Heo clan () is one of the Korean clans. This clan traces their origin to King Suro and his legendary Queen Heo Hwang-ok, who are mentioned in the 13th-century Korean chronicle ''Samguk Yusa''.Gisaeng'' Du-Hyang (기생 두향) – No issue.

Legacy

Toegyero, a street in central Seoul, is named after him, and he is depicted on the

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

n 1,000 won note. The

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

pattern Toi-Gye was named in honor of Yi Hwang.Historical names in Taekwondo

Yonhap News Yonhap News Agency is a major South Korean news agency. It is based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap provides news articles, pictures and other information to newspapers, TV networks and other media in South Korea. History Yonhap (, , translit. ...

, 2005-07-10. Retrieved 2010-07-08. Many institutes and university research departments devoted to Yi Hwang have been established. The Toegye Studies Institute set up in Seoul in 1970,

Kyungpook National University Kyungpook National University (경북대학교, abbreviated as KNU or Kyungdae, 경대) is one of ten Flagship Korean National Universities representing Daegu Metropolitan City and Gyeongbuk Province in South Korea. It is located in the Dae ...

's Toegye Institute opened in 1979, and an institute and library in

Dankook University Dankook University (commonly referred to as Dankook), abbreviated as DU or DKU, is a prestigious private research university in Yongin and Cheonan, South Korea. The university was established in 1947. It was the first university established after ...

in 1986. There are research institutes in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

and the United States. A notable direct descendant of Yi is poet and

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

activist Yi Yuksa, who is also an Andong native.

Notes

References

* Min-Hong Choi, A ''Modern History of Korean Philosophy'', Seong Moon SA, Seoul, 1980, p. 67-81. * Il-ch'ol Sin et al., ''Main Currents of Korean Thought'', The Korean National Commission for UNESCO - Si-sa-yong-o-sa Publishers Inc. - Pace International Research Inc., Seoul - Arch Cape, Oregon, 1983, p. 82-93, . * Wm. Theodore de Bary, JaHyun Kim Haboush (eds.), ''The Rise of Neo Confucianism in Korea'', Columbia University Press, New York, 1985, p. 223-302, . * Michael C. Kalton, ''Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning'', Columbia University Press, New York, 1988. * André Jacob, Jean-Fançois Mattéi (dir.), ''Encyclopédie philosophique universelle. III. Les Oeuvres philosphiques'', Presses Universitaires de France, Paris 1992, Tome 2, p. 4122-4123, . * Michael C. Kalton, ''The Four-Seven Debate. An Annotated Translation of the Most Famous Controversy in Korean Neo-Confucian Thought'', SUNY Press, Albany, 1994. * Ian P. McGreal (ed.), ''Great Thinkers of the Eastern World: The Major Thinkers and the Philosophical and Religious Classics of China, India, Japan, Korea, and the World of Islam'', HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1995, p. 413-417, . * Peter H. Lee, Wm. Theodore de Bary, Yong-ho Ch'oe, Hugh H. W. Kang (eds.), ''Sources of Korean Tradition'', Columbia University Press, New York 1997, vol. I, p. 286-290, 349-375, . * Oliver Leaman (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy'', Routledge, London - New Yourk, 2001, , 579-580. * Seung-hwan Lee et al., ''Korean Philosophy: Its Tradition and Modern Transformation'', The Korean National Commission for UNESCO - Hollym Intl., Seoul - Elisabeth, NJ, 2004, p. 75-94, (Volume VI). * Xinzhong Yao (ed.), ''RoutledgeCurzon Encyclopedia of Confucianism'', RoutledgeCurzon, London - New York, 2003, vol. 2: O-Z, p. 753-754, ; 0-415-30653-1. * Yi Hwang, ''Étude de la sagesse en dix diagrammes'', éd. Hye-young Tcho & Jean Golfin, Éditions du Cerf, Paris, 2005, . * Youngsun Back & Philip J. Ivanhoe (eds.), ''Traditional Korena Philosophy: Problems and Debates'', Rownan & Littlefield Intl., London - New York 2017, p. 25-68, . *

External links

To become a sage
translation of ''Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning'', Michael C. Kalton, Columbia University Press, 1988.
Cyber Dosan Seowon
general information on Yi Hwang and his teachings
The T'oegye Studies Institute, Busan
* ttp://homepage.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/Sven.K.Herbers-Lee/dateien/tgyh.html Detailed bibliographybr>Dosan school

Toigye Academic researchers

Toigye Academic Business Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yi, Hwang 1501 births 1570 deaths 16th-century Korean poets Korean Confucianists 16th-century Korean philosophers People from Andong