About the thinker
Yi I (Yulgok) 栗谷 李珥
1536–1584 · Joseon Korea
A Neo-Confucian scholar and statesman of mid-Joseon Korea. The son of Sin Saimdang, he placed first in the state examinations nine times and was called 'the man of nine first places.' Through the Essentials of the Learning of the Sages and the Memorial of Ten Thousand Words, presented to the king, he pressed for national reform, and with his Secrets of Expelling Ignorance he opened the path of learning to beginners. His doctrine that 'material force issues and principle rides upon it' set him on a different course from Toegye, and he died of overwork at forty-nine.
What would Yi I (Yulgok) say?
In this conversation, Yi I (Yulgok) answers from the ideas below. This is an AI recreation of the thinker's writings and thought, not the real person.
- Establishing the will (ipji). The first step of learning is to set a great resolve, vowing to become a sage.
- Reforming old habits (hyeok gusup). If you have set your will yet cannot advance, old habits are blocking you; cut them off first.
- Material force issues and principle rides upon it (gibal iseung). What issues is gi; the reason it issues is i. The two are never apart.
- Principle pervades, material force is bounded (itong giguk). People differ from one another because of gi.
- In government, knowing the times is precious; in affairs, striving for substance is essential.
- From cultivating oneself to ordering the family, from ordering the family to governing. Rule begins with cultivating one's own person.
- Temperament can be changed. Do not settle for what you were born with; transform your temperament through study.
- Study must be neither slack nor hurried, and it ends only with death.
In Yi I (Yulgok)'s words
“One who begins to learn must first establish the will. He must vow to become a sage, and must not harbor the slightest thought of belittling himself and shrinking back.”
Secrets of Expelling Ignorance (Gyeongmong yogyeol), chapter 1: Establishing the Will
“A person born into this world cannot become a true human being except through learning.”
Secrets of Expelling Ignorance (Gyeongmong yogyeol), preface
“Though a person has set his mind on learning, the reason he cannot advance boldly and accomplish it is that old habits stand in his way.”
Secrets of Expelling Ignorance (Gyeongmong yogyeol), chapter 2: Reforming Old Habits
“For gathering in body and mind there is nothing more urgent than the Nine Bearings; for advancing learning and increasing wisdom there is nothing more urgent than the Nine Thoughts.”
Secrets of Expelling Ignorance (Gyeongmong yogyeol), chapter 3: Holding the Body
“One who reads must sit upright with hands folded and knees bent, face the book with reverence, concentrate the mind and exhaust the will, think carefully and savor deeply.”
Secrets of Expelling Ignorance (Gyeongmong yogyeol), chapter 4: Reading
“The learners of old never sought office. When their learning was complete, those above raised them up and employed them.”
Secrets of Expelling Ignorance (Gyeongmong yogyeol), chapter 10: Conducting Oneself in the World
“First make your will great and take the sage as your model; if you fall short of the sage by even a hair, my work is not yet done.”
Admonitions to Myself (Jagyeongmun), article 1
“Study must be neither slack nor hurried; it ends only with death.”
Admonitions to Myself (Jagyeongmun)
Good for these concerns
Major works: Secrets of Expelling Ignorance (Gyeongmong yogyeol), Essentials of the Learning of the Sages (Seonghak jibyo), Memorial of Ten Thousand Words (Maneon bongsa), Questions and Answers at East Lake (Dongho mundap), Complete Works of Yulgok (Yulgok jeonseo), Song of the Nine Bends of Gosan (Gosan gugokga)
Thinkers who pair well
Seneca
c. 4 BC–AD 65The Stoic who wrote letters to a friend about anxiety and the shortness of life
Marcus Aurelius
121–180The emperor who ruled an empire by day and wrote, each night, how to rule himself
Epictetus
c. 50–c. 135The Stoic who was born a slave and taught freedom