Ham Sok Hon's Ssial Cosmopolitan Vision

Song-Chong Lee

Song-Chong Lee’s Ham Sok Hon's Ssial Philosophy for a Cosmopolitan Vision offers an introduction to the philosophy of Ham Sok Hon (함석헌), an iconic figure in the intellectual and political history of modern Korea, and a discussion of the contributions of his ssial (씨알/seeds, people) philosophy to cosmopolitanism. Known as Gandhi of Han’guk, Ham (1901–1989) was at the epicenter of a series of tumultuous political events in Korea and played a pioneering role in progressive social activism, including the independence movement, promotion of nationalist education, protests against military regimes, and pietistic, religious liberalism. According to Lee, Ham developed his own syncretic, authentic philosophy of ssial and applied it to his understanding and assessment of theology, history, politics, and even international relations. His syncretism culminated at his anthropology of ssial and his expanded notion of community. Lee argues that Ham’s ssial philosophy, which reconstructed the citizen’s identity as an active agent for political progress, led him to defy the excessively parochial nationalism, romanticized patriotism, and indoctrinated religiosity with which he believed the whole society was infatuated during the mid-twentieth century--and ultimately to advocate for a cosmopolitan community.

Lexington Books

Pages: 186 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4985-6405-2 • Hardback • June 2020 • $105.00 • (£81.00)

978-1-4985-6406-9 • eBook • June 2020 • $45.00 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Philosophy / Eastern, Religion / Theology, Political Science / World / Asian

Ham Sok Hon's Ssial Cosmopolitan Vision

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Song-Chong Lee’s Ham Sok Hon's Ssial Philosophy for a Cosmopolitan Vision offers an introduction to the philosophy of Ham Sok Hon (함석헌), an iconic figure in the intellectual and political history of modern Korea, and a discussion of the contributions of his ssial (씨알/seeds, people) philosophy to cosmopolitanism. Known as Gandhi of Han’guk, Ham (1901–1989) was at the epicenter of a series of tumultuous political events in Korea and played a pioneering role in progressive social activism, including the independence movement, promotion of nationalist education, protests against military regimes, and pietistic, religious liberalism. According to Lee, Ham developed his own syncretic, authentic philosophy of ssial and applied it to his understanding and assessment of theology, history, politics, and even international relations. His syncretism culminated at his anthropology of ssial and his expanded notion of community. Lee argues that Ham’s ssial philosophy, which reconstructed the citizen’s identity as an active agent for political progress, led him to defy the excessively parochial nationalism, romanticized patriotism, and indoctrinated religiosity with which he believed the whole society was infatuated during the mid-twentieth century--and ultimately to advocate for a cosmopolitan community.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 186 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4985-6405-2 • Hardback • June 2020 • $105.00 • (£81.00)

978-1-4985-6406-9 • eBook • June 2020 • $45.00 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Philosophy / Eastern, Religion / Theology, Political Science / World / Asian

Author

Song-Chong Lee is associate professor and chair of the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department at the University of Findlay.

Table of Contents

ContentsAcknowledgmentsSelected Works of Ham Sok HonIntroduction1. Ham Sok Hon

2. Background of Ham’s Philosophy and His Style of Writing

3. Note on the Focus of Discussion and Selections of Ham’s Writings

4. State of Nature

5. In'gan, Ssial, and Saengmyeong (인간 human, 씨알 ssial, 생명 life)

6. Ssial Philosophy for Cosmopolitanism

7. Ham Sok Hon’s Ssial Philosophy as Derridean Singularity

Conclusion

Reviews

This book not only provides a detailed introduction to Ham Sŏk-hŏn’s philosophy and discusses his theoretical contributions to cosmopolitanism but also evaluates its validity in contemporary and Korean contexts, which can help us understand and re-examine the value of Ham’s philosophy for the present.

— Religious Studies Review

"Song-Chong Lee does an excellent job of introducing, indexing, explaining, and analyzing Ham Seok Hon ’s philosophy and his writings. Lee carefully explains the major concepts and theses of Ham’s philosophy and develops a comprehensive and comparative analysis of Ham’s notion of ssial in the current context of philosophy. This is a wonderful and highly recommendable book that provides an insightful and convincing interpretation of Ham’s philosophy, activism, and humanism."
— Bongrae Seok, Alvernia University

"Lee’s book provides a deep, rich, and revealing set of reflections on Ham Sok Hon’s ssial philosophy. This book discusses how Christianity is localized and then transformed in Ham’s thought into a cosmopolitan philosophy, how deep appreciation of the force and meaning of life develops into a liberating political activism, and how spirituality can displace and eventually elevate normal politics in open-ended ways. This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in one fascinating instantiation of comparative philosophy and comparative political theory developed in Korea. "
— Sungmoon Kim, City University of Hong Kong

"Brilliantly navigating and unraveling the complexity of the highly metaphysical terms, ssial and saengmyeong, Lee adeptly locates a place of Ham Sok Hon’s ssial philosophy in the larger theoretical spectrum of cosmopolitanism. Lee’s creative interpretation of Ham’s works and their applications to modern political issues and contexts shows a bright future of the conversation between authentic, original Korean thoughts and Western philosophy."
— Yohan Yoo, Seoul National University

"Ham Sŏk-hŏn was arguably the most important Korean thinker of the 20^th century who philosophized in Hangul. One of the first systematic introductions to Ham’s complex life and thoughts in English, this contribution brings modern Korean philosophy into relief. Lee does a superb job of explicating the intricacies of Ham’s thoughts in easy terms and phrases in four chapters, sometimes even comparing them with the Western counterparts. I highly recommend it."
— Halla Kim, Sogang University

"Lee provides a profound understanding of and insight into the theology and philosophy of Ham Sok Hon in Korean contexts and beyond. This thorough, sophisticated, and creative work delves into the encounter between Asian and Western thought, belief, and religion. This is a lucid and invaluable resource for those seeking to fathom the depth of Korean thought in the colonial milieu."
— Sung Uk Lim, Yonsei University

Ham Sok Hon's Ssial Cosmopolitan Vision

Song-Chong Lee

Ham Sok Hon's Ssial Cosmopolitan Vision

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