Wonders and Politics of the Chosŏn Dynasty: Reflections on the Unexplored Side of the Chosŏn Neo-Confucian System

Abstract

Wonder was deeply rooted in the Chosŏn Neo-Confucian system. Through this wonder, we can see various layers of consciousness of Neo-Confucian scholars. Exploring the use of the element of wonder in political and scholarly areas requires more than just looking at aspects that have been neglected. This task is meaningful in that it shows the multi-layers of Neo-Confucianism in the Chosŏn era. It also provides an opportunity to examine how Confucianism intersected with other religions of the time. This allowed Neo-Confucianism to be more closely aligned with the general views of Chosŏn society.

Keywords

• wonder
• Confucianism
• Neo-Confucianism
• Chosŏn
• politics