The times of Chosun Dynasty is applied as dynamic period in all aspects of religion, politics, ideology, and culture. In particular, the period which Lee, Nung-Hwa(1869-1943) was active promoted the introduction of various western civilization as a pr...
The times of Chosun Dynasty is applied as dynamic period in all aspects of religion, politics, ideology, and culture. In particular, the period which Lee, Nung-Hwa(1869-1943) was active promoted the introduction of various western civilization as a practical scientific correspond to thinking method of Neo-Confucian, and social culture challenged big change. At that time, the publication of [Chosun Taoistic History] by Lee, Nung-Hwa had a significant meaning.
He intended to make the relationship between Taoistic ideology and Chosun Dynasty to cohere and further insisted that Korea was the origin country of Taoism through the facts that the letter 'Gun(Lord)' of Dangun is the term of Seonga(Taoist Hermit Community), Samseon Mt.(Three gods Mt.) was Taebaek Mt., Shi Xu(徐市) and Zhong Han(韓終) of Qin Dynasty who were Bangsa(方士, Taoistic wizards) come to Korea to find the medicine of immortality, and Liang Zhang(張良) took Changhae Bangsa(滄海方士) to kill First Qin Emperor.
His view of Taoism which is indicated to [Chosun Taoistic History] should be understood in the aspect to intend to find patriotic independent identity. Let's search it more further, and as first, he prepared the opportunity to make the identity of our people more strongly through [Chosun Taoistic History]. That is, though we cannot consent to the insist of him that Taoism country was the very Korea, independence which he insisted is most urgently needed part in nowadays.
Second, there may be criticism to the fact that he used the terms Taoism and Taoist without dividing. However, because we cannot regard Lee, Nung-Hwa who widely studied so many data as low class scholar due to having only few errors, the viewpoints of researchers have emphasized great points of his works. Therefore, we should consider the possibility that division of Taoism with Taoist was not such an important matter to him. If we take a broad view, we can understand both of Taoist as an ideology and Taoism as a religion in the rule of Taoism. Because Taoism which was a private religion of China had equipped system only after the commencing of religious body, the role as Taoist was the thing of further next generation. It means that if we go back to its origin, the dividing of Taoism with Taoist is not significant matter.
Third, in his lifetime, that period was most painful one in our people's history. That time was that Chosun Dynasty was collapsed and Japanese Colonial Period was started. We should see the efforts of him to awaken the people spirit through many of writing works.