Introducing the book "Introduction to the History of Korean Thought" by the group of authors Kim Seong Beom, Kim Sang Ho and Dao Vu Vu. This is the first work in Vietnam to comprehensively introduce Korean thought from its beginning to the end of the modern period. The book was published by the Social Sciences Publishing House in 2011, 1184 pages thick.
Foreign countries have the same aspirations; Learning is from the same King Tien To. In return, we are happy to sing the five virtues; The talented and noble are the three great ones. The head is given by Trac Li and Bach Trui; The majestic and red memorial is written. The letter of trust is written by the yellow bell and the red bell; The commentary is very melodious.(Different states but of the same mind, also in the same direction; Academics originally followed the same path as Tien To Vuong. Together happy with the complete blessing, singing the song of the five virtues; Only ashamed to show off one's talent but not enough for the three fields. Trac li paper and Bach truy paper were given to each other; Doan uy and Hong tru methods were found in the memorial. Freely write and edit, very flexible, Mouths as fresh as flowers to discuss, clearly too exalted.) (Translated by Nguyen Minh Tuan) This poem "Tong Trieu Tien Quoc Su" (Farewell to the Korean Ambassadors) by Le Quy Don was written when he bid farewell to the Korean ambassadors Hong Khai Hi, Trieu Vinh Tien and Ly Huy Trung in Yen Kinh (Beijing), China in 1761. This is just one of many poems exchanged between the two sides, but it is enough to evoke the passionate feelings of close friends, the understanding, concern as well as the friendship of the two delegations representing the two countries of Vietnam - Korea. This affection did not happen overnight, but had foundations and cultural contacts between the two countries from before. As early as 1597, the earliest meeting between Phung Khac Khoan - Vietnamese envoy and Ly Tuy Quang - Korean envoy also took place in a foreign land.
Small knowledgeIt is also recorded that Ly Tuy Quang himself wrote the Preface for the poetry collection of Phung Cong (ie Phung Khac Khoan). Before that, in 1226, the event of Ly Long Tuong, the second prince of King Ly Anh Tong, bringing the ancestral worship objects and his subordinates across the sea to Ung Tan district, Cao Li is often mentioned as the beginning of the Vietnam - Korea relationship in history. The Vietnam - Korea relationship has a deep origin, especially in recent years, along with the increasingly expanding economic cooperation, the cultural exchange between Vietnam and Korea has had more conditions to develop. The need to understand each other's culture, especially understanding and comprehending the deep levels of culture such as ideology, values, and lifestyle, is becoming more necessary than ever. The authors Kim Seong Beom, Kim Sang Ho and Dao Vu Vu compiled the book
Introduction to the history of Korean thoughtis to contribute to meeting that practical need, is a valuable bridge for Vietnamese people to understand and share about the history, culture, and people of Korea in general as well as the thoughts, feelings, and ways of thinking of Korean people in particular.
Introduction to the history of Korean thoughtis a thorough research document, referring to Korean thought throughout history, from the primitive period to the time of contact with modern thought, with thoughts drawn from the production tools of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, from the content expressed in myths, fairy tales, and especially from the ideological trends originating from outside, etc. The authors have drawn a general picture of Korean thought from the beginning to the end of traditional thought. The important thoughts are analyzed quite carefully and relatively deeply. To create the premise for a clearer understanding of the thoughts, the authors have taken the trouble to describe the historical context, describing the era very specifically and in detail. The historical factors chosen are relatively expensive and typical; therefore, helping readers not only easily understand the content and rationality of Korean thoughts. The book provides readers with rich and systematic content about two basic ideological trends of Korea originating from the East (China), Buddhism and Confucianism. Through the authors' presentation, readers can see that the introduction of Buddhism and Confucianism from China to Korea, although different in each period and each historical circumstance, is an inevitable process, because the exchange of ideas is a common phenomenon for countries that are close to each other and have almost the same level of social development, such as Korea and China. The authors are conscious of clarifying the characteristics and values of Korean thought, stating Korea's contributions to the ideological system of the East Asian region. In the two doctrines of Buddhism and Confucianism, the presentation of thinkers is not only limited to their dissemination and application of existing things in the classics, but also brings up their new contributions, and their values to the development of Eastern thought. This can be seen in the pages written about the monk Won-hyo (617-686), or the introduction to the monk Ji-nul (1158-1210), etc. The monk Won-hyo not only wrote many works on Buddhism but also had a clear awareness in directing Buddhism to the cause of "protecting the country", to the real life of the people, not only understood the precepts but also courageously went beyond the restrictive and harsh precepts in his daily life. The Zen scholar Ji-nul is not only the founder of Hai Dong Zen but also has works of timeless value, such as the work "
Sincere and direct teaching”. It is a work that is not only famous at the time, but also creates interest for people today, forcing Taiwan to translate it into vernacular and Japan to translate it into Japanese. In the field of Confucianism, the authors consciously focus on presenting the characteristics of Korean Confucianism in history, raising debates about “four realms - seven emotions”, “human heart - moral heart”, “human nature - material nature”, etc. The authors have presented the content of those debates clearly and specifically, with a beginning, development and end, with arguments and evidence. Through this, readers can see the unique nuances of Korean Confucianism in history. In general, the authors have outlined the process of formation, development and transformation of Korean thought in history, outlined the characteristics of this school of thought, as well as its contribution to the development of Eastern thought. The book
Introduction to the history of Korean thoughtis a valuable reference for those who want to learn about Korean thought, people and society from the beginning to the present day.
Hanoi, May 27, 2011
Institute of PhilosophyVietnam Academy of Social Sciences
