Yi I (Yulgok) 1536 – 1584
Yi I, known by the pen name Yulgok, was a Korean Joseon-dynasty Confucian philosopher, statesman, and reformer, often counted with Yi Hwang as one of the two great Korean Neo-Confucian thinkers. Where Yi Hwang tended to emphasize principle, Yulgok placed greater weight on material force and on the practical task of applying Neo-Confucian thought to government and education. He passed every state examination he sat at the highest grade, served in many important offices, and produced influential proposals for tax, military, and educational reform. His portrait appears on the Korean five-thousand-won note.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Korean
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Confucianism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Yi I (Yulgok):
“Sincerity is the way of heaven; to make oneself sincere is the way of man.”
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Attributed to Yi I (Yulgok):
“Reform begins with the cultivation of one's own mind.”
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Attributed to Yi I (Yulgok):
“Without learning, there is no virtue; without virtue, there is no good government.”
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Attributed to Yi I (Yulgok):
“Principle is universal, but material force is particular.”
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Attributed to Yi I (Yulgok):
“The duty of the scholar is to be of use to the world.”