• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.33
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• pp.319-349
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• 2019

This study aims to elucidate the origin and yield of life and its characteristics and purpose in Daesoon Thought. Thereby, Taegeuk (the Great Ultimate) and Sangje (the Supreme God) have been deemed the source and ontology of life. The structure of each living creature is explained through reason (理), energy (氣) and spirit (神). In addition, through vital reason and living energy, the purpose of life makes the realization of the benevolent characteristics of life possible through the mind of Sangje. This line of research is unique among currently available research views of life as it perceives the spirit to be an ontological entity with functions and interactive engagement. By way of contrast, prior research suggests that spirit is life itself and includes it in the category of life and death. The Daesoon view of life is unique in that it is somewhat influenced by ontology and developmental theories from Confucianism, yet the concept of divine beings suggests a humanistic Sangje, who presides over the Great Ultimate. The realization of reason in this model is rather thought-provoking. Humans, just like other living things, are born with vital essence and function and interact as a main source to preside over the innate spirits inside themselves. Humans take responsibility for a certain sphere in the Three Realms that make up the world. They are also recognized as a significant feature in the world. Such an idea in Daesoon Thought depicts that 'the enshrinement of spirit into human being (神封於人),' follows Heaven and Earth. This is done to rectify humans in order to meet the needs of the universe and ultimately establish the era of the enshrinement of spirits into human beings. As for humanity, this possibility exists because of the spirits contained within their inner-selves. When cultivating oneself, humans and outer spirits actively interact with each other. This is likely to cause changes in a human's constitution and characteristics. In the end, one can be enshrined with corresponding divine beings according to one's degree of cultivation. Humans are born through the command of Sangje and the accomplishments of their ancestors as well as the energy of the universe. Present day humans encounter the era of human nobility and the era of humankind's divine salvation. Thereby, the purpose of human life is to contribute to the universe. To achieve this goal, the most important thing is to wholly realize that one's nature and reason were endowed by Heaven, which emerged from virtuous conduct in society. This is also akin to the movement of reason in Jeungsanist Thought. Sangsaeng (mutual beneficence) among oneself and others and between human beings and divine beings can be completed through the resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence and the grateful reciprocation of favors for mutual beneficence. If one accomplishes the perfected state of one's own nature and reveals it wholly, then one will be fully able to interact with spirits and reach the state of the human nobility.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.28
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• pp.37-72
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• 2017

The purpose of this article is to study the prospect of implementing a public common practice of ethics based on the 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth.' The 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' demonstrated the prospect of a public common practice of ethics through the shared public action that would connect and mediate both the public domain and the private domain. In addition, the 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' of Gucheon Sangje (九天上帝) provided us with a complete transformation, meaning the opening of a new era, transforming heaven and earth from their state in the Prior World to their optimized state in the Later World. This culminates in a new manifestation of a peaceful world revealed a prosperity and the prospect of common happiness and common order for the public. In addition, the 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' has a public value as a religious culture that responds to social change and social needs. The 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' revealed the prospect of a public common practice of ethics, placed importance on creating a new foundation, and restoring phenomena back to its original order. The 'Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth' presented various multi-faceted, multi-layered outlets of soteriology while exploring solutions to public issues and revealing human dignity. Through the new construction of Heaven and Earth, Gucheon Sangje had intervened in projects for human relief. The public ethical indicators of 'the actor' here are in line with those of the 'Non-action Tao' of Laozi. As the cosmos enters into the new epoch, humans have living together with the previous cosmic principle. Now we can expect the Prior World to open into a different era as humans embrace a cosmic life of 'Non-action Tao.' The active conjunction of the virtues of yin and yang is an idea of horizontal communication related to reordering of the universe. The harmonious union of divine beings and human beings suggests the way of enabling vertical communication. The resolution of grievances for the mutual beneficence of life is an ethics of peace that aims at achieving coexistence and prosperity. The private realization of Tao and the completion of the Tao in the world suggest the prospect of a common practice of ethics as means of implementing human dignity.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.41
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• pp.1-25
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• 2022

This paper examines whether the dynamic and practical nature of Daoism has a significant relationship with the messianic figure Kang Jeungsan (姜甑山) via Honam (湖南) Daoism's Jinindaemangron (眞人待望論, discourse on awaiting an immortal). To this end, the historical implementation of Daoism's social transformation of consciousness in China and Korea is explored, and then the circumstances of Honam Daoism, in particular, are considered. Following that, analysis turns to the 'Jinindaemangron' in the late Joseon Dynasty that developed in Honam. As a result of the discussion, Daoism's social transformation of consciousness was expressed in China through the anti-establishment activities of the early Daoist groups such as Wudoumidao (五斗米道) and Taipingdao (太平道), movements that sought to build utopias. Throughout this process, the term, zhenren (眞人, 'jinin' in Korean), that originally meant 'master,' was transformed into the idea of a future savior. In the case of Korea, the dynamic and practical nature of Daoism can be found in the preface of Nanrang tombstone (鸞郎碑序) written by Choi Chi-won (崔致遠) which was later inherited by the Danhak sect (丹學派) practitioners who struggled against Buddhist monastics. Additionally, examined is the Docham theory of geomancy (圖讖說) that rose after Goryeo, the prophecy of 'Mokjadeuksul (木子得國說 a Lee clansman shall attain the kingdom)' that appeared thereafter, and the Prophecies of Jeong Gam (鄭鑑錄)'s 'Jinindaemangron' in the Joseon Dynasty. Next, the circumstances of Honam Daoism can be considered with regards ti Choi Chi-won and Doseon (道詵) in ancient times, and it can be confirmed that Nam Gung-du (南宮斗) and Kwon Geuk-jung (權克中) were entangled behind Kang Jeungsan. The close relationship among the Daoist Jeong family of Onyang (溫陽鄭氏), the Koh family of Jangheung (長興 高氏), and Kwon Geuk-jung was also confirmed in this study. Finally, in dealing with the 'Jinindaemangron' of Honam in the late Joseon Dynasty and the birth of Kang Jeungsan, Honam Daoism's intense consciousness of social transformation receives first focus, and this is expressed through Prophecies of Jeong Gam, and the religious ideologies of Donghak (東學) and Namhak (南學). These expressions are analyzed through Song of Gungeul (弓乙歌), composed by Jeongryeom (鄭磏), and through Daesoon Jinrihoe's The Canonical Scripture (典經). As a result, it can be confirmed that the messianic significance of the Kang Jeungsan's advent lay on the basis of the people's desire for an ideal future, which is a notion that had been ripening for several centuries.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.469-506
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• 2019

More than a few existing studies on popular narratives that pay attention to 'place' tend to adopt as their theoretical framework the celebrated distinction between space and place. According to this distinction, to put it simply, space is allegedly mobile, whereas place is static. Given this distinction, and in this age of high-mobility, where the spaces of mobilities seem to rapidly and extensively undermine the places of immobilities, would studies on popular narratives focusing on 'place' still remain convincing? Referring to David Seamon's recent book Life Takes Place: Phenomenology, Lifeworlds, and Place Making, this article aims to consider the possibility of studies on popular narratives in the era of high-mobility. To explore the concept of 'place' through phenomenological methodology, Seamon's book uses a theoretical framework called the 'progressive approximation,' which is attentive to synergistic relationality. According to this approach, the place should first be put under scrutiny as a whole, i.e. as the monad of place. Phenomenological studies on the monad of place as a whole identify places as the fundamental condition for human beings. Then, in accordance with the 'progressive' order of research, places are studied as dyads, i.e. as binary oppositions. Through these analyses, movement/rest, insideness/outsideness, the ordinary/the extra-ordinary, the within/the without, homeworld/alienworld are identified as the five dyads of place. To make a detour around these binary oppositions and confrontations, however, phenomenological studies on place now advance to the higher order of six place triads including place interaction, place identity, place release, place realization, place intensification, and place creation, whereby the study of place progressively approaches the 'approximate' essence of place. Reflectively asking himself about the idea of 'place' in the high-mobility era, the author of this informative and insightful book submits an answer that place is still the fundamental sine qua non of human beings. However, this answer is more likely to be bounded by the binary opposition of space/place, and movement/rest accordingly. In this article, I suggest as an alternative and hopefully more promising answer a perspective of transcending this kind of a dead-end dichotomy and of performing 'place-making' through the mobilities themselves, while presenting a noticeable example of the manner in which research on popular narratives could begin from this perspective.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.165-191
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• 2019

The purpose of this article is to elucidate why the motif of time travel is repeated in the science fiction narrative by examining the functions of this motif in the SF movie series of Star Trek in its narrative and non-narrative aspects. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) aims to attract the audience's interest in the story through the use of plausible time travel in the form of the slingshot effect which causes the spacecraft to fly at very fast speeds around an astronomical object. The movie also touches upon the predestination paradox that arises from a change of history in which it describes a formula of transparent aluminum that did not exist at the time. The film also serves as an evocation of the ideology of ecology by including humpback whales in the central narrative and responding to the real issue of the whale protection movement of the times. Star Track VIII: First Contact (1996) intends to interest the audience in the narrative with the warp drive, a virtual device that enables travel at speeds faster than that of light and a signature visual of Star Trek, at the time of its birth through time travel. The film emphasizes the continuation of peaceful efforts by warning the destruction of humanity that nuclear war can bring. It tackles with the view of pacifism and idealism by stressing the importance of cooperation between countries in the real world by making the audience anticipate the creation of the United Federation of Planets through encounters with the extraterrestrial. Star Trek: The Beginning (2009) improves interest through the idea of time travel to the past, this time using a black hole and the parallel universe created thereby. The parallel universe functions as a reboot, allowing a new story to be created on an alternate timeline while maintaining the original storyline. In addition, this film repeats the themes pacifism and idealism shown in the 1996 film through the confrontation between Spock (and the Starfleet) and Nero, the destruction of the Vulcan and the Romulus, and the cooperation of humans and Vulcans. Eventually, time travel in three Star Trek films has the function of maximizing the audience's interest in the story and allowing it to develop freely as a narrative tool. It also functions as an ideal solution for commenting on current problems in the non-narrative aspect. The significance of this paper is to stress the possibility that the motif of time travel in SF narrative will evolve as it continues to repeat in different forms as mentioned above.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.191-221
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• 2019

This study aims to analyze the post-humanistic imagination that has emerged as a major academic thesis in Korean literature, especially novels. In particular, this paper focuses on Cho Ha-hyung's two novels Chimera's Morning(2004) and A Prefabricated Bodhi Tree(2008), published in the early 2000s, for intensive analysis. Post-humanism can be seen as an extension of post-modernism that tried to overcome the limitations of modernity and seek to establish a new world view. In particular, this thought pays attention to the comprehensive understanding of how the rapid development of science and technology, which has developed since the 20th century, has changed the view of humanity and human-centered civilization itself. At the concrete level, it is developing in the direction of constructing a new subject idea by reflecting and dismantling Western-, reason-, and male-centered power mechanisms that are the core of modern civilization. Cho attempts to discover and re-illuminate the surrounding figures, non-humans, and objects that were not noticed in the classic works written in the past. This ideological flow reflects the fact that the concept of human beings, which had been dominated by the humanities in recent years, has been completely changed, and the natural science and technology perspective is applied to the discourse field in various ways. From the point of view of post-humanism, objects that have not been classified as humans and objects that were considered inferior to humans should be included in human or comparable levels. These questions generate interdisciplinary research tasks by involving the large categories of philosophy, such as ontology, epistemology and empirical fields, as well as calling for the participation of the entire literature, science and social sciences. Against the backdrop of a disaster-hit world, Chimera's Morning and A Prefabricated Bodhi Tree depict human beings as variants transformed by bio-technology, and creatures made out of the artificial intelligence built by computer simulations. Post-humanistic ideas in Cho's novels provide a reflective opportunity to comprehensively reconsider the world's shape and human identity reproduced in the text, and to re-explore boundary lines and hierarchy order that distinguish between human and non-human.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.152
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• pp.59-79
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• 2019

The main purpose of this paper is to critically examine the intractable problems of Peirce's notion of 'symbol' as a higher and perfect mode of sign, and present a more appropriate account of the higher status of symbol from an experientialist perspective. Peirce distinguished between icon, index, and symbol, and suggested symbol to be a higher mode of sign, in that it additionally requires "interpretation." Within Peirce's picture, the matter of interpretation is to be explained in terms of "interpretant," while icon or index are not. However, Peirce's conception of "interpretant" itself remains fraught with intractable opacities, thereby leaving the nature of symbol in a misty conundrum. Drawing largely on the experientialist account of the nature and structure of symbolic experience, I try to explicate the complexity of symbol in terms of "the symbolic mapping." According to experientialism, our experience consists of two levels, i.e., physical and symbolic. Physical experience can be extended to symbolic level largely by means of "symbolic mapping," and yet is strongly constrained by physical experience. Symbolic mapping is the way in which we map part of certain physical experience onto some other area, thereby understanding the other area in terms of the mapped part of the physical experience. According to this account, all the signs, icon, index, and symbol a la Peirce, are constructed by way of symbolic mapping. While icon and index are constructed by mapping physical level experience onto some signifier(i.e. Peirce's "representamen"), symbol is constructed by mapping abstract level experience onto some signifier. Considering the experientialist account that abstract level of experience is constructed by way of symbolic mapping of physical level of experience, the symbolic mapping of abstract level of experience onto some other area is a secondary one. Thus, symbol, being constructed by way of secondary or more times mapping, becomes a higher level sign. This analysis is based on the idea that explaining the nature of sign is a matter of explaining that symbolic experience, leaving behind Peirce's realist conception of sign as a matter of an event or state of affairs out there. In conclusion, I suggest that this analysis will open up new possibilities for a more appropriate account of the nature of signs, beyond Peirce's complicated riddles.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.25_1
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• pp.121-155
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• 2015

The purpose of this article is to study on the comparative relationship between mutual cooperation of the Dae-soon thought of Dae-soon jinrihoe and Shinnyo thought of Shinjo Ito. Dae-soon thought focuses on outspreading virtues and enlightenment teaching based on the saying of Jeong-san Sang Jae's Mutual cooperation without any grudge. According to the Buddha's nature thought of Shinjo Ito, 'Dharma kāya resident' is the source of touching upon buddhahood. The Shinyo-en is an outward manifestation of their deep resolve to help others by cultivating spiritual faculty and mind session. First, we can find the virtue action theory in the mutual cooperation of Dae-soon thought and the virtue nature theory in the Shinnyo thought of Shinjo Ito. From the perspective of comparative relationship, it was Jeong-san Sang Jae who laid foundation for the Posterior Grand Renewal. His idea is that the universe should be completed through the mutual communication between the earth and men following the Posterior Grand Renewal. It was Kyodoin-sama who laid the foundation for identifying the place Shinchoji was established. It was at the time that the power we call bakku-daiju as transversality and Shinnyo spiritual faculty were perfected through Shindoin-sama's passing. Second, based on Jeon-kyungn or Dae-soon Ji Chim, outspreading virtue is to awaken mutual cooperation without any grudge and the enlightenment teaching to practice according to mutual cooperation principle without any deceit toward one's own self. No deceit toward one's own self is to be sincere, to be respectful and to be faithful in Jeong-san Sang Jae. In the different context of Mahayana Buddhism, we can be aware that the immortal resident immortal of Dharma kāya is the source of permanent bliss in the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra' From the perspective of comparative relationship to pray toward Jeong-san Sang Jae and to participate in the Posterior Grand Renewal is to take part in Cheonji-Gongsa. It is a similar phenomena to be reflected suchness reality before the three personifications of buddhahood and the Shinnyo Stupa is the same meaning as meeting the ever present Buddha. Both of them, they focus to find religious altruism from real possibilities of mutual support. They argue that to dispense with altruism is to dispense with Sang Jae or Dharma for the divine transformation of human possibilities Third, Everybody possesses unique and wonderful abilities to be unified with Jeong-san Sang Jae. If we seek happiness by trying to get by without making much of an effort to take part in CheonjiGongsa, it will be difficult to attain the harmony and peace of mankind with outspreading virtues and enlightenment teaching. In the 'Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra' tells us 'all sentient beings have Buddha nature' that could be the possibility to the fulfillment of buddhahood in the spiritual practice. From the comparative relationship, we can strive with open hearts and minds, in efforts that benefit others, and in ways we can work together to build a word of joy in which everyone can have an opportunity to cultivate spiritual faculty. This is based on mutually beneficial voluntary focused our principles into practice the spirit to build a mind session of Shinnyo as the civic clean precepts of 'Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra'. Fourth, the disciples of Jeong-san Sang Jae are encouraged to acquire the Mutual cooperation manner of being considerate. It is important to accumulate virtue action by daily effort. It is the contrast to awaken virtue nature by daily practice. The Buddha's nature thought of Shinjo Ito is based on the thought of Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. It can be supported by the Shinnyo parents and the two Dojis to build a world of joy as the light dharma descending and the emphasis of Tathatā spiritual faculty. It's not that we can't do something we haven't attained a higher spiritual level. What counts is our continuos effort, act so we can cultivate our spiritual faculty through the way of mind session.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.34.3-34.3
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• 2020

Faint z ~ 5 quasars with M1450 ~ -23 mag are known to be the potentially important contributors to the ultraviolet ionizing background in the post-reionization era. However, their number density has not been well determined, making it difficult to assess their role in the early ionization of the intergalactic medium (IGM). In this work, we present the updated results of our z ~ 5 quasar survey using the Infrared Medium-deep Survey (IMS), a near-infrared imaging survey covering an area of 85 square degrees. From our spectroscopic observations with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on the Gemini-South 8 m Telescope, we discovered eight new quasars at z ~ 5 with -26.1 ≤ M1450 ≤ -23.3. Combining our IMS faint quasars with the brighter Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasars, we derive, for the first time, the z ~ 5 quasar luminosity function (QLF) without any fixed parameters down to the magnitude limit of M1450 = -23 mag. We find that the faint-end slope of the QLF is very flat (-1.2) with a characteristic luminosity of -25.7 mag. The number density of z ~ 5 quasars from the QLF gives lower ionizing emissivity and ionizing photon density than those in previous works. These results imply that quasars are responsible for only 10-20% of the photons required to completely ionize the IGM at z ~ 5, disfavoring the idea that quasars alone could have ionized the IGM at z ~ 5.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.28
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• pp.237-266
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• 2010

This thesis is to check whether the modernization, promoted mainly in 1960-1970 of Korea may have the relations with Confucian values or have a gap between this and that, and have the question about the idea of the appearance of modernity under Park Jung-hee's government, which is based on the viewpoint that Confucianism would have been made ill use of or have contribution to the nation-directing modernity, especially to the modernization of people. In a sense this thesis demands the overcome of the modern ills such as social dichotomy, leaving out matters of locals, and neglecting the diversities and singularities of creatures, resulted from efficiencies and uniformity caused by nation-centralism. At first Confucianism have represented humanism with a view to finding the mean between the two of locals, affairs, and men. As such it has seek to find centrality, which means my real mind for meeting outward things or the optimum as the mean, the best state between of the two. The political doctrines modified from Confucian learnings including chung, hyo, samgang, and oryun worked as the mechanism for finding nation-directing modernity. As a result we have lived in the modernity, strengthened by nation-centralism. And the leading concepts in related with Neo-Confucianism had people lose their spaces of desire for their own future or got them to be narrow. Accordingly the modernization of Korea means not an integral space in which we can achieve what we want in various aspects, but a deficient space to be complemented, resulted from the centralization of all conditions of life, dichotomous way of approaching matters by nation-centralism, far from being the essence of Confucianism. In the end the rapid modernization by the leaders in Korea has given rise to the concentration politics, economy, and so forth on Seoul as the center. Then we should deeply reflect the deficiency state of centralism like this and how Confucianism would have been responsible for it and will give how to relieve the unequal centralism of nation. Now for this matter we would like to expect our study in the future.v