Chong Yagyong: Korea's Challenge to Orthodox Neo-Confucianism (Suny Series, Korean Studies) [Paperback]

Mark Setton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997 | Series: Suny Series, Korean Studies

During the last decade, Chong Yagyong also known as Tasan, the eighteenth-century Korean thinker who dared attack the hallowed orthodoxy of his dynasty, has become a household name in Korea. In this study, the first ever in English, Mark Setton presents a highly readable analysis of the world view behind Tasan's reforms. Setton challenges the very concept of a school of "Practical Learning," presenting an alternative view of Tasan's historical background in terms of the interplay between Confucian schools and political factions. By carefully decrypting Tasan's philosophical writings, Setton shows that he was not simply a reformer bent on unraveling the ruling ideology, but an incisive thinker who sought to "draw aside the veil" of Buddhist and Taoist-inspired Neo-Confucian commentaries and uncover the pristine message of Confucius and Mencius. On the basis of this classical scholarship, Tasan sought for points of resonance between Confucianism and the Catholicism which had deeply inspired him in his youth. Comparing it with parallel schools of thought in both China and Japan, including the "Evidential Learning" of the Ch'ing dynasty and the "Ancient Learning" movement of the Tokugawa, Setton shows that Tasan's rigorous scholarship represents a major contribution to the development of East Asian Confucianism, particularly concerning unresolved issues such as human nature and the foundations of morality.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Setton is Assistant Professor in the Department of Comparative Studies at State University of New York at Stony Brook. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791431746
• ISBN-13: 978-0791431740
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #242,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions > Confucianism
  • #71 in Books > History > Asia > Korea

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is new and striking, October 10, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chong Yagyong: Korea's Challenge to Orthodox Neo-Confucianism (Suny Series, Korean Studies) (Paperback)

This work is a important opportunity to activate the new discussions about the concept of "Sirhak" which have been used to categorize late Choson dynasty intellectual trends. Mark Setton's perspective is very new and striking. Especially, this work is the first attempt to locate Chong Yagyong's thought in the whole context of East Asian tradition of Neo-Confucianism. This work made a deep impression on me in that aspect.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Korean Philosopher, July 18, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chong Yagyong: Korea's Challenge to Orthodox Neo-Confucianism (Suny Series, Korean Studies) (Paperback)

CHONG YAGYONG: KOREA'S CHALLENGE TO ORTHODOX NEO-CONFUCIANISM is a short study of the life and works of the Korean Neo-Confucian scholar and bureaucrat, Chong Yagyong, or Tasan (1762-1836). Tasan, his nom de plume, refers to a hill, "Tea Mountain", near Kangjin in South Cholla province, where Chong was exiled following anti-Catholic purges in the capital. Chong was a gifted and precocious scholar who became a trusted advisor to King Chongjo (r.1776-1800). His works were reputed to have been loved by Kojong, the last king of Korea.

This book surveys historically Tasan's life, the factions in the Korean royal court, and Tasan's Korean, Chinese, and Japanese influences, and critically analyzes Tasan's corpus of work. The author situates Tasan squarely in the Neo-Confucian tradition, but argues, that his arguments opposed the orthodox position, espoused by most Korean scholar-bureaucrats of his time, originally formulated by Chu Hsi. Where Chu tried to turn Confucianism into a metaphysical theory capable of competing with Taoism and Buddhism, Tasan, through analysis and philological research, advocated a return to a Confucian emphasis on ethics and political activism.

Besides Tasan's arguments, what is most interesting about this book, is how the author reveals the myriad influences in Tasan's intellectual development: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, even, possibly, Catholic Christian (although the evidence is ambiguous). Also, a picture of Korean political development is offered. Both these situate Korea in an international context. Tasan surely deserves a place in the history of philosophy, along with others alive in the world of his generation.

If only this book would have included more excerpts from Tasan's works in translation, it would be perfect. As it is, it is a slim volume, more a teaser than the final word.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is new and striking, October 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Chong Yagyong: Korea's Challenge to Orthodox Neo-Confucianism (Suny Series, Korean Studies) (Paperback)

This work is a important opportunity to activate the new discussions about the concept of "Sirhak" which have been used to categorize late Choson dynasty intellectual trends. Mark Setton's perspective is very new and striking. Especially, this work is the first attempt to locate Chong Yagyong's thought in the whole context of East Asian tradition of Neo-Confucianism. This work made a deep impression on me in that aspect.