This course will give you the cultural and historical background to begin your journey into Korean philosophy, and there is no prerequisite knowledge on philosophy required. Anybody who either has an interest in Korean culture, maybe through K-Dramas or K-pop, or an interest in philosophy from a cross-cultural perspective, are all welcome.
Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture
Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture
This course is part of Korean Philosophy Essentials Specialization
Instructor: SO JEONG PARK
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4.8
(198 reviews)
Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 11 hours
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What you'll learn
Compare Korean philosophy with both Chinese philosophy as well as Western philosophy
Explore the field of Korean philosophy and its development through its continued innovation
Discuss the key ideas in Korean philosophical debates, such as the concepts of moral emotions and everyday feelings
Reflect the Korean philosophical traits reflected in Korean language
Skills you'll gain
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Assessments
5 assignments
Taught in English
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This course is part of the Korean Philosophy Essentials Specialization
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There are 4 modules in this course
This week, we’re going to look at what Korean philosophy is, and what makes it different from the Western philosophy that you might be accustomed to. We’ll also be looking at Chinese philosophy in comparison to Korean philosophy, because it has had a large influence on the evolution of Korean philosophy.
What's included
9 videos2 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
This week, we will look at how Koreans formed their own culture and ideas. What we consider to be “Korean” today is the result of their long-standing self-awareness and tenacious practice of reconstructing the cultures from outside. Among them, the Chinese culture had the deepest influence on pre-modern Korea. We will explore ways Koreans have adapted and innovated at cultural boundaries.
What's included
9 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt
This week, we will cover two traits that are often used to describe Koreans: One is “Koreans are affectionate” and the other is “Koreans are argumentative.” We will focus on these two seemingly contradictory characteristics of Koreans and revisit the two famous debates in the history of Korean philosophy: the Four-Seven Debate and the Horak Debate.
What's included
8 videos1 reading1 assignment2 discussion prompts
Koreans have developed their way of thinking by innovating on knowledge at cultural boundaries. What they developed are reflected in contemporary Korean language. This week, we are going to talk about the core ideas of Korean philosophy that have endured up till now. We’ll see how we can think differently about the world through these ideas.
What's included
8 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.8 (86 ratings)Offered by
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4.8
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RR
4
Reviewed on Jul 2, 2021
although it's a bit boring there are many things that I get and understand rather than just assuming that philosophy in Korea is the same as Asian philosophy as a whole
CH
4
Reviewed on Oct 1, 2023
The Zoom lesson was cringey, but I enjoyed most everything else. I wish the readings had been accessible through my library; I had to skip a lot of them because I couldn't source the material.
AN
5
Reviewed on Mar 18, 2024
Namaste Professor explains very well. I connect throughout the course. Even if I am not feeling bored.
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