Most of the previous studies on the educational thoughts of Yeonam Park Ji-won(1737~1805) adopted the basic framework of the ideal of an educated man, educational ideology, and educational goals, content, and systems and maintained the framework. That...
Most of the previous studies on the educational thoughts of Yeonam Park Ji-won(1737~1805) adopted the basic framework of the ideal of an educated man, educational ideology, and educational goals, content, and systems and maintained the framework. That investigation approach played a part in the systemization of his educational thoughts by employing a macroscopic perspective, but the old macroscopic research style has its limitations with applying his educational thoughts to fresh educational activities in schools. In an effort to overcome those limitations, this study raised a banner of "Educational thoughts are even further highlighted when having fitness in the field of education." The purposes of the study were to identify educational elements revealed across his books and check whether they could be specifically applied to modern education. For the purposes, the study first categorized his educational thoughts into the goals, subjects, objects, and methods of science for inquiry.
The study then identified educational elements found across his books and also the areas of education in which they could be applied to the field of education from a microscopic perspective. There were five areas of education identified, and it was found that his educational thoughts could be applied to the modern field of education in a useful way.
Yeonam's educational thoughts can be divided into the goals, subjects, objects, and methods of science.
The goals of science started with the subject "I" and were extended to the people and nation in the spatial scope. First, the primary goal was to suppress the selfish interests and desires of the body, which effort was to establish the individual identity. Second, the secondary goal was to make the lives of the people affluent. Yeonam maintained that the process of science should lie in its practical application. Application is expressed in promotion, which can lead to public welfare. Finally, the ultimate goal of science was to build a world where virtues would stand right(正德).
The subjects of science were classical scholars. Yeonam denied the ideology of the times, which made "noblemen equal to classical scholars" and discussed the definition and duties of classical scholars, who belonged to the same category as farmers and artisans downwards and became friends with kings and dukes upwards. It established the concept of classical scholars by raising the status of the common people and lowering that of kings and dukes, arguing that both kings and the common people could be classical scholars. The duty of classical scholars was to pursue science, whose goal was to provide welfare to the people. Classical scholars should therefore do practical science, a science of promotion of public welfare.
Yeonam categorized the methods of science into four: the first one was non-discriminatory question method, which means that one should ask questions even to women and servants if they know more;
he second one was Beopgochangsin(法古創新), which means that one can deal with the present by emulating the old and keep his or her current sophistication by making anew; the third one was Seonjihuhaeng(先知後行), which means knowing first, and acting later; and the final one was to use pictures to increase the efficiency of science.
The educational elements identified in Yeonam's books were applicable to five areas
of education including education for the prevention of school violence, reading
education, integrity education, five senses education, and creativity education in schools.
First, the proposition that "My friend is second me" implied in Yeonam's theory on friendship defined friends as a community in one's independent space rather than objects as others. It helps the students renew their perceptions of friends and encourages them to practice the importance of friends in schools where the risk of school violence is growing. The investigator diagnosed field fitness for education to prevent school violence by defining the significance of friends, who had been neglected in schools, anew and re-illuminating Yeonam's life.
Second, the investigator explored the applicability of his reading method, mindset, and attitude to reading education. Finding the goal of reading in realization and discussing reading methods for realization in three stages, which include the stage of emptiness, which involves getting rid of selfish interests and desires and emptying the mind, the stage of summary, which involves grasping the gist of text well and focusing on what is important, and the stage of realization, which involves attaining a realization through the concentrated gists. It was noteworthy that Yeonam discussed the mindset and attitude of reading.
Third, his honest living and thoughts of money can be applied to integrity education. In the present study, integrity was defined as "discarding one's private interests and fulfilling the publicness of the organization and public interest." After limiting the scope of private interest to money, the investigator discussed the applicability of his thoughts of money to integrity education designed to implement publicness and public interest based on the theoretical foundation of his thoughts of money.
Fourth, the study also stated the importance of balanced uses of the five senses through Yeonam's discourse about "seeing and listening." Five senses education claims enough values at a time when there are concerned with potential problems with education focused on advanced audiovisual teaching materials such as smart devices, which have been employed in full scale in school lessons.
Finally, Yeonam's eyes always remained between, and he always thought between.
The present study pulled a concept of "between" in his writings, diagnosed its creative values, and discussed that the proposition of "thinking between" could be a thesis to be made good use of in creativity education activities taking place around the school.
Sophistication found across Yeonam's thoughts increases their applicability to modern education. His thoughts were examined in five categories in the present study and are expected to be more diversified and content-rich in future studies.