Confucian Propriety

Although the foundation of the Chosun Dynasty was troubled with an argument of its legitimacy, the society had put a great emphasis on Confucianism in practical life. The textbook does not say much about how the Confucian or Neo-Confucian ideas were brought into a real life of the Yangban class. However, the additional readings, both written by the scholars from the Yangban class, focus on basically 3 norms like Prof. Duncan noted; political fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty. As mentioned in lecture, Confucianism was regarded as a perfect to reach a state of harmony in Korea. Yi Tongmu’s writing “Small manners for scholars” encourages scholars to have a certain way of lifestyle that was based on mainly Confucianism. As scholar-officials, they were expected to choose their fidelity over any monetary value. As Prof. Duncan noted in lecture, the Confucian culture in Korea is characterized as “Koreanization of Confucianism.” This means the original Confucianism brought into Korea form China as a cultural exchange altered its form and reshaped with Korea’s unique Yangban culture. For example, the constant ye (proper ritual behavior) that was originally meant that “adjusting itself to time and geographic location” was varied to justify the retention of aristocratic aspects of the native Korean social order. I think that the Confucian lifestyle that the Yanban class was encouraged to live with is very assimilated to “Noblesse oblige” in