• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.251-272
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• 2018

There could be different ways of perception, emotions, and behaviors facing on unfair situation according to the culture background by which people have been affected. We investigated whether definition, feelings, and behaviors in 4 countries (Korea, China, Japan, and the US) would differ in terms of unfair situations. We further examined the relationship between new self-construal model (subjectivity-objectivity-autonomy model) and behaviors resulted from unfair situations. Three hundred seventeen participants (87 Koreans, 71 Chinese, 80 Japanese, and 79 Americans) took part in this research. We found that all countries defined unfair situation as "having a disadvantage or blame that one did not done by him or her" with the highest percentage, but there was a different percentage according to countries. Next, Chinese felt disappointment or betray from the situations highly while others expressed anger with the largest portion. In the area of behaviors, three countries in Asia answered "no behaviors" with the highest percentage while Americans mostly responded "direct expressions". In terms of self-construal model, subjective self was high in Chinese and Koreans while autonomy was high in Chinese and American. Japanese showed objective self with the highest. Implications and future research are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.643-674
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• 2016

The purpose of present study is to discover the meaning of the Eogul(억울) which is known as a emotion from perceived unfairness. Even though Eogul has been mentioned as a cause of the Hwabyung in Korean culture there were few studies about it. Researchers designed two studies to provide clear understanding for this concept. In study 1, researchers conducted an open-ended questionnaire for 44 participants to deduce the cultural contexts and the whole experience on Eogul. Data were analyzed with grounded theory, the results were cross-checked by different evaluators. According to the analysis, Eogul is not only the negative feelings from the perceived unfairness, but also the motivations and behaviors to resolve the feelings. Especially, what makes Eogul culture-bounded could be related display rules on expressing emotions. We conducted study 2 to clarify the cultural attributes of Eogul in Korean culture. Variables that explain cultural differences were chosen and 123 participants were surveyed with them including the items developed for measuring Eogul. Cultural meanings and implications of Eogul were discussed with the results.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.148
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• pp.239-267
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• 2018

In the matter of ethical and moral practice, Thomas Aquinas's thought is called "intellectualism". It does not mean only that intelligence is more important than will in moral practice, but that it has epistemological, metaphysical, and psycho-psychological implications significance. The first means affirming "the first principles of knowing" as the problem of certainty of knowing. In Thomism, there are surely above suspicion notions in the domain of practice as well as in the domain of reason, which are obviously self-evident, and because of that certainty, they become the basis of certainty of all other knowings that follow. The principle to know these knowings is the first principle of knowing, reason and Synderesis(conscience). Therefore, the "intellectualism" of Tomism is the basis for providing the ground of metaphysics. In the case of reason, it is classified into superior reason and inferior reason according to whether it is object. The object of higher reason is "metaphysical object" which human natural reason can not deal with. This affirmation of superior reason provides a basis for human "autonomy" in the moral and religious domain. This is because even in areas beyond the object of natural reason, it is possible to derive certain knowledge through self-reasoning, and thus to be able to carry out the act through their own choosing. Likewise, for Thomas Aquinas, "Synderesi" as the first principle of good and evil judgment can be applied to both the superior reason and the inferior reason, and thus, except for the truth by the direct divine revelation, precedes any authority of the world, scrupulous Act always guarantees truth and good. This means "subjectivity" that virtually in the act of moral practice, it can become the master of one's act. Furthermore, "consciousness(conscientia)", which means the ability to comprehend everything in a holistic and simultaneous manner, is based on conscience(synderesis). So, at least in principle, correct behavior or moral behavior in Tomism is given firstly in correct knowledge. Therefore, it can be said that true awareness (conscious awareness) in Thomas Aquinas's thought coincide with practical practice, or at least knowledge can be said to be a decisive 'driver' for practice. This will be the best explanation of the definition of "intellectualism" by Thomism.