Pak Chonghong's Philosophical Analysis of Korean Buddhism and His Steps Towards Establishing an Eastern Philosophy

EUN-SU CHO

doi:10.16893/IJBTC.26.04

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동국대학교 불교학술원
International Journal of Buddhist Thought and Culture 학술저널
International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Culture Vol.26 No.1
2016.6 75 - 98 (24page)
DOI : 10.16893/IJBTC.26.04

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EUN-SU CHO

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Modern expansion in the scope of philosophy began an ongoing philosophicalintrospection into traditional Korean thought and Korean Buddhism, how theycan be defined, and what they mean. Yŏram Pak Chonghong (1903–1976) was aseminal figure who initiated this effort by making a groundbreaking proclamationfor the existence of a distinct Korean thought and identity. By proclaiming that thepast critically informed the present and vice versa, he tried to renew and revitalizethe Korean philosophy of the past, which had been locked away and displayed as anartifact or fossil, transforming it into a relevant, living philosophy of the present. Onthe other hand, he was a dedicated scholar of Korean thought who explored its practicalboundaries and content. He published works on Wŏnhyo and other Korean Buddhistphilosophers, as well as T’oegye and other Korean Confucians. Pak pointed to KoreanConfucianism and Buddhism as treasures awaiting excavation — and the need for anew methodological tool that could integrate Korean thought with the concepts andlogical methods of Western philosophy. These efforts firmly placed Korean thought — andby extension, Eastern philosophy — on the shelf of philosophy as a discipline. Thebreadth of sources and the scrutiny he gave them in his work set the standard of KoreanBuddhist scholarship that was unmatched for some time. Even now, his theories onKorean Buddhist philosophy still guide scholars. So translated into a modern context,the study of Korean Buddhism became an important field of Korean philosophy, and these efforts became the cataly for a wealth of lively discourse on Korean thought in the Korean academic world.

#Buddhist Philosophy #Eastern Philosophy #Korean Philosophy #Pak Chonghong #Sŭngnang #Wŏnch'ŭk #Wŏnhyo