The four moral sprouts arise from principle, with material force following; the seven feelings arise from material force, with principle riding on them.
Yi Hwang (Toegye) · Korean Neo-Confucianism
mindethicsvirtue
Summary
Philosopher
Last reviewed:
Yi Hwang (Toegye)
1501–1570 · Korean Neo-Confucianism · Renaissance
Yi Hwang, known by his pen name Toegye, is the most honoured Neo-Confucian of Joseon Korea; he appears on the 1,000-won note. He followed Zhu Xi closely but gave principle (li) an active role. In the Four-Seven Debate with Gi Daeseung he argued that the four moral sprouts named by Mencius issue from principle, while the seven ordinary emotions issue from material force (gi).
Read more
His Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning, presented to the young King Seonjo in 1568, set out the path of learning and the practice of reverent attention (gyeong).
Summary card only.
Start here
Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning, tr. Michael Kalton.
His own summary of the whole path.
Quotations
Key ideas
Four-Seven Debate
Do moral feelings come from a different source than ordinary emotions? He said yes, principle versus material force.
Reverence (gyeong)
Steady, attentive seriousness is the core of self-cultivation.
Learning for oneself
Study is to become good, not to gain office.
Major works
Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning (1568)
Kalton translation.
Common misreadings
- The debate is not hair-splitting. It is about whether goodness is built into us or must be imposed.
- He did not reject emotion; he wanted it guided.
Famous lines Yi Hwang (Toegye) never said
None of the lines this library files for Yi Hwang (Toegye) is marked Questionable or Misattributed. That is only a fact about these cards. It is not a certificate that every popular sentence is theirs.
FAQ
What is the best book to start with?
Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning, tr. Michael Kalton. His own summary of the whole path.
What is the most famous quote?
This library does not measure fame, and it does not rank lines by how often they are shared. The first line it files for Yi Hwang (Toegye) that is not marked Questionable or Misattributed is “The four moral sprouts arise from principle, with material force following; the seven feelings arise from material force, with principle riding on them.” (Letters to Gi Daeseung (Four-Seven Debate), summary, Summary).
What is the most misquoted line?
None of the lines this library files for Yi Hwang (Toegye) is marked Misattributed or Questionable. That is a fact about these cards, not a certificate that every popular sentence is theirs.
What is one key idea, in a sentence?
Four-Seven Debate: Do moral feelings come from a different source than ordinary emotions? He said yes, principle versus material force.