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THE CONFUCIAN REFORMATION of YUN HYU by Guy Shimon

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THE CONFUCIAN REFORMATION of YUN HYU by Guy Shimon LIFE AND DEATH OF A DESPOILER: THE CONFUCIAN REFORMATION OF YUN HYU by Guy Shimon Shababo A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Asian Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) May 2019 © Guy Shimon Shababo, 2019 The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the dissertation entitled: Life and Death of a Despoiler: The Confucian Reformation of Yun Hyu Guy Shimon Shababo submitted by in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Doctor of Philosophy the degree of in Asian Studies Examining Committee: Prof Donald L. Baker Supervisor Prof Edward Slingerland Supervisory Committee Member Prof Bruce Rusk Supervisory Committee Member Prof Josephine Chiu-Duke University Examiner Prof Steven Lee University Examiner ii Abstract Yun Hyu was a seventeenth-century scholar-official of the Chosŏn Dynasty. Although he never took the civil service exams, he held office under three different Chosŏn Kings. Yun Hyu is mostly known for his involvement in the so-called Rites Controversy over the mourning of King Hyojong, and for his Socratian execution, by poison. Past studies of Yun Hyu suggested a variety of reasons for the controversial treatment he received. In this work I argue that we should think of Yun Hyu as a religious thinker. Reading Yun Hyu as a theologian allow us to appreciate the dramatic implications of his thought and understand the strong reaction of his peers and opponents. To do so I first present Yun Hyu’s life and work in the context of his time and society, namely the seventeenth-century Neo-Confucian factions. This is Yun Hyu’s most complete biography in English to date. It is followed by a close reading of his most influential texts. I have divided Yun Hyu’s writings into three subjects to represent the main aspects of his religious thought: Sacred texts, divinity and the afterlife. In each chapter I attempt to introduce Yun Hyu’s original thought and contributions but also demonstrate how a religious reading of his writing sheds some light on his motives. Finally, I conclude by discussing the religiousness of Neo-Confucianism, demonstrating how it is implemented in the case of Chosŏn in general and Yun Hyu specifically. In particular I demonstrate that a cognitive and evolutionary approach to religion has much to offer us in the way of understanding the motives and agenda of premodern people. iii Lay Summary This work examines the life and work of Yun Hyu (1617 – 1680), a Korean thinker and statesman of the Chosŏn Dynasty (1392-1910) mostly known for his involvement in a public debate over the mourning rituals for King Hyojong (r. 1649-1659) and the following falling out between him and his friend Song Siyŏl (1607-1689). Yun Hyu was executed by poison in the summer of 1680 for high treason, and thus remained controversial and unstudied in Korea until the present day. In this work I survey his most important writings and argue that we should see Neo-Confucianism as a religion and Yun Hyu as a Confucian fundamentalist. I provide a detailed biography of Yun Hyu, followed by a detailed analysis of his writings. Finally, I show that Neo-Confucianism is a religion. I demonstrate how insights from sciences can be useful for the study of the Humanities, and particularly for understanding religious behaviours. iv Preface This dissertation is original, unpublished, independent work by the author Guy Shimon Shababo. v Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Lay Summary ............................................................................................................................... iv Preface .............................................................................................................................................v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ ix List of Abbreviations .....................................................................................................................x Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... xi Dedication ................................................................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Argument and Structure of the Dissertation ................................................................... 6 1.3 Background and Methodology ...................................................................................... 10 1.4 A Notes on Sources ....................................................................................................... 14 1.5 A Note on Names and Titles ......................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2: Historical Background and Biography ..................................................................18 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Historical Survey - The Seventeenth Century in Korea ................................................ 20 2.3 Factionalism and Intellectual Trends ............................................................................ 29 2.4 Yun Hyu’s Family and Faction ..................................................................................... 39 2.5 Yun Hyu’s Career ......................................................................................................... 43 2.5.1 Early Life .................................................................................................................. 43 vi 2.5.2 Government Service During Hyojong’s Reign ......................................................... 46 2.5.3 Retirement During Hyŏnjong’s Reign ...................................................................... 56 2.5.4 Government Service During Sukchong’s Reign ....................................................... 66 2.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 3: The Great Plan..........................................................................................................74 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 74 3.2 The Classic of Documents ............................................................................................ 76 3.3 The Great Plan .............................................................................................................. 78 3.4 The Great Plan in Korea ............................................................................................... 81 3.5 Notes upon Reading the Book of Documents ............................................................... 85 3.6 Penetrating the Meaning of the Classic and Commentary on the Great Plan ............... 97 3.7 Practical Implications – The Application of the Great Plan in Real Life ................... 109 3.8 Conclusion – Commentary, Hermeneutics and Scriptures ......................................... 121 Chapter 4: Serving Heaven – Discussing the Doctrine of the Mean .....................................125 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 125 4.2 Notes Upon Reading the Doctrine of the Mean .......................................................... 126 4.2.1 The Introduction...................................................................................................... 127 4.2.2 The Division of the Text ......................................................................................... 130 4.2.3 The Minor Introduction........................................................................................... 141 4.2.4 Metaphysical Issues ................................................................................................ 148 4.2.5 Heaven .................................................................................................................... 158 4.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 169 Chapter 5: Ghosts and Spirits ..................................................................................................172 vii 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 172 5.2 Yun Hyu on Ghosts and Spirits .................................................................................. 173 5.3 Methodological Concerns ........................................................................................... 186 5.4 Dead Kings.................................................................................................................
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