• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.141
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• pp.1-42
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• 2017

This paper's purpose is to seek to grasp how Descartes demonstrates proofs of God's existence on the basis of his works especially Meditations. To consider these points, I shall explore first, second, third proofs that are present in his works, and contents related to God. Descartes argues that there is idea of God within me, but it is God, which is first proof. On the basis of this fact, Descartes shows only God is the cause of thinking self who has idea of God(second proof), both of them are called Cosmological argument. To investigate this, at first he states that representative reality that is different from formal reality sets a kind of hierarchy, the degree of this reality is equally applied to cause and effect, consequently to the cause of my idea or existence(God). From Meditation V, third proof which is called Ontological argument, Descartes examined a supremely perfect God can't be separated from God's existence(perfection) just as surly as the certainty of any shape or number, for example triangle, namely it is quite evident that God's existence includes his essence. Through these processes I shall examine following points: the way of having Descartes' proofs of God's existence itself is not only exposed, God's existence who guarantees cogito ergo sum which is never doubted, despite doubting all things that is outside, is but also postulated; Proofs for the existence of God are an ultimate source of ensuring the clear and distinct perception of human reason, Descartes uses reason suitable for non-christians instead of faith suitable for Christians for these methods, which are similarities with the traditional views on the one hand, but nevertheless there are some of discontinuities establishing authority or power of the first philosophical principle to which God is subjected, on the other.

• New Physics: Sae Mulli
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• v.68 no.11
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• pp.1262-1267
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• 2018

We introduce a new method to construct wormholes without adopting exotic matters in Einstein-Born-Infeld gravity with a negative cosmological constant. Contrary to the conventional method, the throat of the wormhole is located at the point where the metric solutions are joined smoothly. Thus, exotic matters are not needed to sustain the throat. We consider the behavior of a minimally coupled scalar field to study the stability of the new wormhole. If we define the quasinormal mode of the scalar field as the purely ingoing flux at the throat of the wormhole, the stability of wormhole can be discussed in analogy with the argument that we use for the stability of a black hole. Because an analytic solution can not be found, we suggest a formalism to find quasinormal modes numerically. The crucial difference from the black hole case is that the coefficient of the second-order derivative term of the radial equation is expanded from n = -1, which is contrary to the black hole case where it is expanded from n = 0.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.32
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• pp.77-108
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• 2019

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the characteristics of 'Podeok' in Daesoon Jinrihoe. The term Podeok can cause some misunderstanding as the same word Deok (德 virtue) has long been used in the Eastern Tradition. In other words, for most people who are used to traditional thought, Podeok may be conflated with the similar word 'Deok (virtue)' as used within Confucianism. People who are familiar with Confucian culture might thereby misunderstand the term Podeok as an aspect of Confucian moral ethics, or they could misconstrue Daesoon Jinrihoe as having appropriated and misused Confucian ideas. Furthermore, there are other problems that could arise if people compare Daesoon Jinrihoe's 'Podeok' with 'Deok (virtue)' as used by Laozi. While Deok in Laozi's usage represents the ability of an individual who can exercise his or her rationality with excellence, Deok in Daesoon Jinrihoe indicates the idea of actualizing Mutual Beneficence and the conditions that enable Mutual Beneficence. If one understands Deok as used by Laozi to contain the meaning of Mutual Beneficence, then it is possible to think that the two tradition share a similar meaning of Deok as Podeok in Daesoon Jinrihoe pursues Mutual Beneficence as its ultimate value. In order to preemptively correct these misunderstandings, I need to clarify how the idea of Deok was born out of traditional thought and what meanings it embodies. Additionally, it is necessary to examine how it became meaningful in Confucianism, and how it was criticized and ascribed new meanings in Laozi's thought. Through these clarification, it will become clear that Deok originally indicated a religious ritual that the king of the Zhou Dynasty performed after receiving the heavenly mandate and assuming rule over the nation. Later, this idea was transformed into a moral virtue and norm by Confucius. This moral virtue and norm was criticized by Laozi as an unnatural form of control as it was understood by Laozi as a teleological argument justifying whether or not lives were to be saved or sustained based on the perceived merits of each individual. On the contrary, Deok in Daesoon Jinrihoe and traditional thought stand on a totally different theological bases. Deok in Daesoon Jinrihoe is a means to practice and realize the truth of the earthly paradise of the Later World and the truth of Mutual Beneficence which were posited to the world through Kang Jeungsan's Works of Haewon (grievance resolution) that resolved the pattern of mutual conflict that characterized the Former World. Therefore, the idea of Podeok in Daesoon Jinrihoe gains completion only on the premises of Haewon Sangsaeng (resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence) and Boeun Sangsaeng (reciprocation of favors for mutual beneficence), and the way to practice Podeok is to practice Haewon Sangsaeng and Boeun Sangsaeng. In addition, the subordinate virtues such as loyalty, filial piety, and faithfulness that exist within Daesoon Jinrihoe's religious practice are not same as those of traditional thought. They are new concepts of virtues drawn from the cosmological laws of Daesoon Jinrihoe. To be specific, the virtues of Daesoon Jinrihoe are not rules that create discrimination and mutual conflict, but are instead ethical rules established upon the basis of Heaven and Earth having been newly organized, and thus, they will bring virtuous concordance, harmonious union, and mutual beneficence. The idea of 'Podeok' in Daesoon Jinrihoe can be understood as a religious practice that requires doctrinal understanding and tangible practice in daily life of followers. In other words, it is not the same Deok of earlier traditional thought in East Asia, but is instead a religious truth by which practitioners realize the truth of Sangje's Works of Haewon in human world as they practice Haewon Sangsaeng and Boeun Sangsaeng.