1001Philosophers

Yi Hwang (Toegye) Quotes on Virtue

Yi Hwang, known by his pen name Toegye, was a Korean Joseon dynasty Confucian scholar and the most influential Korean philosopher in the Neo-Confucian tradition of Zhu Xi. This page collects quotes attributed to Yi Hwang (Toegye) on the topic of virtue, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Yi Hwang (Toegye):

    “Without sincerity there is no transformation of the self.”

  • Attributed to Yi Hwang (Toegye):

    “Reverence is the gate of all virtue.”

  • Attributed to Yi Hwang (Toegye):

    “Self-cultivation is the foundation of governance.”

  • Attributed to Yi Hwang (Toegye):

    “The student must hold his mind together with reverence and let it expand with study.”