Chonmyungdo is a diagram made in the 16th century by confucian scholars in Chosoˇn Dynasty, The diagrams represent the principles of the consolidation between Heaven and the human beings using various symbolic signs. The confucian scholars who devise...
Chonmyungdo is a diagram made in the 16th century by confucian scholars in Chosoˇn Dynasty, The diagrams represent the principles of the consolidation between Heaven and the human beings using various symbolic signs. The confucian scholars who devised these diagrams are Jung JI-Wun. Kim In-hu, Yi Hwang and Gi Dae-seung.
This paper aims at explaining the differences of various symbolic signs and the different meanings that are represented by each diagram used by the above - mentioned three confucian scholars except Gi Dae - seung. This paper also discusses other diagrams such as Chonmyungdohae, Chonmyungdosul and Chonmyungdosulhuso which explain the principles of Chonmyungdo.
The original form of Chonmyungdo is that of Jung Ji - Wun. That of other confucian scholars is a modified version of it. Though the confucians had adopted the same ideas of Neo - Confucianism, the understanding of every confucian and the presentations by the various signal forms of the diagrams are not the same. If it is true, we should analyze and verify the differences among their speculative systems according to the different forms of the diagrams.
The forms of the diagrams used by the three confucian scholars consist of three parts in general: a circle of Heaven, a square of Earth, and a form of Human Being. The three confucians do not specify any significant difference for the square of Earth. However they make different forms of the circle of Heaven and a form of Human Being. This means that their understanding and explanations of the order of Heaven and Human Beings are conformed from each different view point. In conclusion these three diagrams suggest a theoretical divergence of the Chosoˇn Neo - Confucianism especially for the explanations of human mind. Regarding the famous Four - Seven Debates between Yi Hwang and Gi Dae - seung, we may trace its original ideas from the theoretical difference among Jung's, Kim's, and Yi's.