In May 2023, I delivered the Oesol Memorial Lecture which was established in 2022 by the Korean Institute of Humanities and the Social Sciences, and the Korean Association of Humanities and the Social Sciences to honor Oesol Choi Hyeon-bae (1894-1970)...
In May 2023, I delivered the Oesol Memorial Lecture which was established in 2022 by the Korean Institute of Humanities and the Social Sciences, and the Korean Association of Humanities and the Social Sciences to honor Oesol Choi Hyeon-bae (1894-1970), a pioneer in Korean studies. Looking back on how I encountered and valued Choi’s thoughts, in this lecture I summarized what I have argued over the years: that we should go beyond the conventional framing of him as a 'man of Hangeul-Korean language' who preserved and propagated the language, and that Choi should be regarded as a man of thought making his mark through his invaluable books including Joseon-minjok kaengsaeng-ui Do (The Way of Renewal of the Joseon Nation) (1926) and Narasarang-ui Gil (Road to Love the Country) (1958). I take a fresh look at his thought and show him as a man of critical learning. First, Choi, following the work of Joo Si-gyeong (the foremost leader of the Korean language movement) who joined Seo Jae-pil's Dongnip-sinmun (The Independent Newspaper) movement (1895-1899), advocated transforming the ‘reform from below’ into ‘critical learning.’ Along with this, Choi promoted the critique ‘from the inside’ against the lethargic life stuck in the framework of the existing order, and, taking in Pestalozzi's universal view of humanity that he encountered at university, rejuvenated it to an active life. Reflecting on Choi’s intellectual spirit, who persistently practiced his critique during Japanese colonial rule, and also during the nation-building era after liberation from Japanese rule, I examine our knowledge society today in Korea.