We often picture ourselves the birth of philosophical thought happening before the eyes of the Athenian citizens, mesmerized and horrified by the discussions and the hearings of Socrates, Plato, and so on. Nevertheless, the roots of what we call Western philosophy may be as foreign as any root we dig beneath the earth. Egyptian, Amerindian, Bantu, Chinese, and Indian traditions are often treated as strangers in the public square of philosophy, full of flies and chattering owls. Korean philosophy has long occupied a curious absence arena, marking presence in occasional references or comparative studies, yet largely inaccessible as a sustained tradition in its own right. The book Korean Philosophy: Sources and Interpretations, edited by Youn Sa-soon—and that is here reviewed by researcher William Gilbert, Ph.D. student at Sogang University—offers a rare and important corrective. As part of a growing effort to bring understudied philosophical traditions into global view, this volume provides readers with both primary texts and interpretive essays that illuminate more than a millennium of Korean thought. In doing so, it helps us to expand our philosophical boundaries by introducing a tradition that has been obscured not by lack of attention, but by lack of access. Expanding our knowledge of a tradition that has long been outcast of the philosophical mainstream also means expanding of what we consider to be the limits of philosophical thought. In this sense, Gilbert urges us to notice that the volume includes authors who were often not considered to be part of philosophical thought, relegated to the label of religious discourse, and so on. The book calls on us not only to understand the deep roots of Korean philosophy in its historical experiences, but also to expand the limits of what we understand by philosophy, by showing that these thinkers grappled with profound philosophical questions.
Rediscovering a Neglected Tradition
Most philosophers in the English-speaking world can name a few major figures from Chinese or Japanese traditions such as Confucius, Mencius, Zhuangzi, perhaps Nishida, but when it comes to Korean philosophy, there is often silence. This silence does not reflect a lack of philosophical richness. Rather, it reflects a lack of access.
Until recently, key Korean thinkers and texts were not widely available in translation, leaving the tradition underrepresented in the broader conversation about world philosophy. Korean philosophers wrote in classical Chinese for most of Korean history. Even after the Korean alphabet (Hangeul) was invented, it went unused by philosophers and literati—who considered it a literacy tool for the uneducated—for centuries. Thus, even in the mid-twentieth century much work was being done to translate key texts from classical Chinese to modern Korean.
Part of the problem is geographical as much as it is linguistic: Korea’s philosophical heritage has often been overshadowed by its larger neighbors. Nestled between the intellectual giants of China and Japan, Korean thought is sometimes assumed to be merely derivative, rather than recognized as a tradition that has forged its own distinctive debates and innovations.
This is why Korean Philosophy: Sources and Interpretations, edited by Youn Sa-soon and published in English in 2015, is such a landmark work. Originally published in Korean in 2001, the volume gathers foundational texts and interpretive essays from 39 experts, spanning well over a millennium, from early Korean foundation myths to medieval Buddhism and Joseon dynasty Confucian thought to modern reformers wrestling with Japanese colonialism. The English edition makes clear that Korean philosophy is not a footnote to its neighbors but an ancient and dynamic tradition with its own voice. For readers of world philosophy today, this book matters not only because it opens the door to a new archive, but also because it challenges us to rethink what counts as philosophy in the first place.
The text’s editor, Youn Sa-soon, is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Korea University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea. Youn has spent his career not only studying Korean thought but also working to place it in dialogue with global philosophy. His ultimate editorial vision for this volume was ambitious: to compile a single volume (805 pages) to contain centuries of Korean thought from four main traditions, to make those voices audible in English, and to show how their ideas matter for philosophy.
The book is both a sourcebook and an interpretive guide. On the one hand, it presents selections from key texts, many of which had never appeared in English translation. On the other, it provides interpretive essays that situate those texts in their intellectual and historical contexts. The scope is remarkable, covering perhaps over a millennium of philosophical activity from early Buddhist thinkers like Wonhyo in the seventh century, through Neo-Confucian masters such as Yi Hwang (Toegye) and Yi I (Yulgok) in the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), to proto-modern reformers like Jeong Yakyong (Dasan), and twentieth-century philosophers confronting colonialism and modernity.
For readers encountering Korean philosophy for the first time, the book functions as a roadmap. It does not presuppose specialist knowledge, but it does invite engagement: the authors’ interpretations show how Korean thinkers grappled with questions of human nature, moral cultivation, political order, and ultimate reality. And because the selections are presented in English, the book makes it possible for students, teachers, and researchers around the world to begin working directly with pre-modern Korean sources.
Structure
The volume is organized both chronologically and thematically. The book begins with Korea’s foundation myths, such as the story of Dangun (Korea’s mythical first king), which illustrate how early Koreans understood the cosmos, divine ancestry, and the relationship between human society and the natural world. These myths are not treated as mere folklore but as formative narratives that shaped Korea’s sense of identity and provided a symbolic framework for later philosophical developments.
The section on Buddhism traces its introduction from China and India into Korea, highlighting how it took on distinctively Korean characteristics. Thinkers such as Wonhyo and Uisang are presented not only as religious figures, but also as philosophers grappling with metaphysical questions of emptiness, one-mind, and interpenetration. Korean Buddhism is shown as a creative force that deeply influenced ethics, politics, and art for nearly a millennium.
Daoism, often overlooked in Korean intellectual history, receives careful attention here as both a lived practice and a philosophical under-current. From court rituals and alchemical pursuits to literary works by figures like Yi Gyubo, the Daoist worldview offered alternative ways of thinking about nature, spontaneity, and the cosmos. This treatment helps to restore Daoism to its rightful place as a key “teaching” in Korea’s philosophical landscape.
The book also examines the deep imprint of Confucian thought, particularly during the Joseon dynasty. While Neo-Confucianism shaped Korea’s educational system, politics, and ethics, the text emphasizes not only the canonical Four-Seven Debate (which dealt with moral emotions) between Toegye and Yulgok but also the broader intellectual culture of the period. This approach situates Confucianism as one current among many, showing how it interacted with and was challenged by Buddhist and Daoist ideas. This highlights the fact that there would be no Neo-Confucianism without Buddhism and Daoism.
Rather than centering exclusively on Joseon Neo-Confucianism, as many surveys of Korean philosophy tend to do, this volume gives balanced attention to the “three teachings” that have shaped Korea’s intellectual history: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. This balanced structure distinguishes the book from many surveys that privilege Confucianism above all else—which is, in my estimation, a great strength of the text. This equal attention highlights that Korean philosophy cannot be reduced to Confucian state ideology alone.
Later sections turn to proto-modern and contemporary thought, including Jeong Yakyong (Dasan), an eighteenth-century reformist thinker who reinterpreted Confucian ethics to address the social and political challenges of his day. The book closes with essays on twentieth-century philosophers wrestling with colonialism, modernization, and early encounters with Western philosophy. These chapters show that Korean philosophy is not a static inheritance but an evolving conversation responsive to historical upheavals, and in modern times, global intellectual currents as well.
Philosophical Themes
Several themes emerge across the book’s selections. First is the interplay of traditions: Korean thinkers rarely worked in total isolation from Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, or indigenous shamanistic ideas. Instead, some sought creative syntheses that spoke to the needs of their time. This dynamism challenges the view that Korean philosophy is merely derivative of Chinese thought; the selections reveal a tradition that consistently reinterprets and innovates.
Second is the emphasis on moral cultivation and relationality. Whether in Wonhyo’s Buddhist reconciliation of doctrinal disputes, Toegye’s reflections on moral emotions, or Dasan’s practical ethics, influenced by Catholicism, Korean thinkers consistently focused on how philosophy can transform the self and guide social life. This emphasis resonates with contemporary discussions in virtue ethics, moral psychology, and political philosophy.
Finally, the book highlights the philosophy of historical experience. Many Korean thinkers wrote in times of political turmoil, invasions, colonization, and rapid modernization. Their work often grapples with questions of identity, cultural survival, and ethical renewal in moments of crisis. These are not just historically interesting; they speak to perennial human concerns about how philosophical traditions adapt to change.
Pedagogical Value
One of the strengths of Korean Philosophy: Sources and Interpretations is its accessibility. Many of the original text selections included had never appeared in English translation, making this volume an essential resource for readers not fluent in Korean. Due to the scope of Korean philosophy, spanning many centuries, the text helpfully includes works about the topic described in the essay that might otherwise go unknown to a general reader, or even a specialist. The interpretive essays are written to orient readers without requiring specialized background, making the book suitable for undergraduate courses as well as a solid starting point for further research.
Additionally, it utilizes the Revised Romanization system, the official romanization system recognized by the Korean government, which is more readable for a lay audience. Even today many English language journals of Korean philosophy/religious studies utilize an outdated romanization system (McCune-Reischauer) that, while useful for experts, is more cumbersome to a general audience.
For philosophers interested in expanding their syllabi beyond the usual canon, this book offers ready material. Selections on Wonhyo can enrich courses in Buddhist philosophy, the Four-Seven Debate can complement discussions of the role of emotions in morality, and Dasan’s reinterpretation of Confucianism can be brought into dialogue with Enlightenment-era debates on politics and ethics. In this way, Korean Philosophy: Sources and Interpretations does not just document a tradition, it makes Korean philosophy teachable and usable in a wide variety of contexts.
Limitations and Critiques
No single volume can capture the full richness of over a millennium of Korean philosophy, and this text is no exception. The compilation is necessarily selective, often only quoting passages from a primary source. Additionally, some readers may wish for deeper engagement with certain figures or periods that a general overview cannot provide. Likewise, the translations, while invaluable, sometimes smooth over complexities that specialists might debate. For example, philosophical terms with long interpretive histories in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese contexts often carry subtle shades of meaning that a single English rendering cannot fully capture. There are also some errors in translation that could be improved.
At the same time, these limitations reveal something about the nature of the project itself. The book is designed not as a definitive scholarly edition but as a gateway, a first step into a vast and still underexplored intellectual tradition. The inevitable trade-offs between breadth and depth mean that readers receive a panoramic view rather than exhaustive treatments of individual thinkers. Specialists in Confucianism or Buddhism may find the interpretive essays too introductory, while general readers may still feel daunted by the density of some selections. Yet this balance is arguably appropriate: the book succeeds in its primary goal of making Korean philosophy visible and accessible, while leaving space for future translations and monographs to supply the detail that this one-volume introduction cannot provide.
Why It Matters Today
Yet these limitations can be better understood as openings rather than flaws. The English edition of 2015, translated from the Korean original of 2001, represents both a gift and a beginning: it gives Anglophone readers direct access to texts that had long been unavailable to those without deep knowledge of classical Chinese, but it also reminds us of how much work remains to be done. Further translations, commentaries, and comparative studies are needed if Korean philosophy is to take its rightful place in the global philosophical canon. In that sense, the book succeeds not only in what it contains, but also in what it inspires.
Korean Philosophy: Sources and Interpretations is a landmark contribution that makes a vital but underrepresented tradition accessible to an English-speaking audience. Edited by one of Korea’s foremost contemporary philosophers, it offers both a reliable guide to the historical landscape and an invitation to deeper exploration, Korean philosophy is truly a blue ocean.
For philosophers, students, and teachers alike, the volume provides a way to integrate Korean thought into broader philosophical conversations, whether on ethics, metaphysics, political theory, or the philosophy of religion. More than that, it challenges us to expand our sense of philosophy itself, to see it as a truly global endeavor enriched by voices from many cultures and histories.
By opening the door to Korean sources and interpretations, this book helps ensure that the silence surrounding Korean philosophy in the West is finally broken.
William Gilbert
William Gilbert is a philosophy PhD student at Sogang University researching Korean Daoism, Yi Gyubo, and religious syncretism. His dissertation traces the emergence of Korean Daoism and its early integration into Korean thought. He has presented at conferences across Asia, Europe, and the United States and previously co-produced online courses introducing Korean philosophy to global audiences.
André M. Penna-Firme is the Editor of the Reports from Abroad series. He is a teacher, poet and PhD candidate in Philosophy and Aesthetics at PUC-Rio, with a master’s degree in philosophy with an emphasis on Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art from both PUC-Rio and Université Paris 8. His research covers topics such as literary reception, intellectual history, history of concepts, literature, always at the intersection of three axes: History, Literature and Philosophy. He currently investigates the poetic and theatrical nature of philosophical thinking in authors such as Nietzsche, Diderot, and others.
