The Four-Seven Debate between Yi Toegye and Gi Gobong and Its Philosophical Purport

Originally published in The Book of Mencius and Its Reception in China and Beyond, edited by Chun-chieh Huang et al. (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2008), 54–78. Reprinted with permission.

1. See Kant, Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten, 442.

2. Moral Mrongovius II, in Immanuel Kant, Kants Gesammelte Schriften, Academy edition (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1968–), vol. 29, 626.

3. In addition to the relevant passages found in Mou Zongsan’s Xinti yu xingti, also see

Lee Ming-huei, “Mengzi de siduan zhi xin yu Kangde de daode qinggan” ^{孟子的四端之心} 與康德的道德情感 (Mencius’ heart-mind of the four buddings and Kant’s moral feelings), in his Rujia yu Kangde ^{儒家與康德} (Confucianism and Kant) (Taipei: Linking Publishing Co., 1990), 105–145.

4. Readers should keep in mind that xing always means the particular nature of a thing, not “nature” in general as in Mother Nature.

5. Zhu Xi, Zhuzi yulei, juan 1, vol. 1, 4.

6. Mou Zongsan, Xinti yu xingti, vol. 1, 48 and 53.

7. Zhu Xi, Zhuzi yulei, juan 5, vol. 1, 85.

8. Zhu Xi, Sishu jizhu ^四書集注 (Collected commentaries on the Four Books) (Bei-jing: Zhonghua shuju, 1983), 238.

9. Zhu Xi, Zhuzi yulei, juan 4, vol. 1, 67–68; juan 44, vol. 5, 1938; juan 61, vol. 6, 3036.

10. With regard to the different meanings of the physical nature in Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, see Lee Ming-huei, “Zhuzi lun e zhi genyuan” ^{朱子論惡之根源} (Zhu Xi on the origin of evil), in Zhong Caijun ^鍾彩鈞, ed., Guoji Zhuzi xue huiyi lunwen ji ^國 際朱子學會議論文集 (The proceedings of the international conference on Zhu Xi stud-ies) (Taipei: Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica, 1993), vol. 2, 559–562. See also Lee Ming-huei, “Liu Jishan lun e zhi genyuan” ^{劉蕺山論惡之根源} (Liu Jishan on the origin of evil), in Zhong Caijun ^鍾彩鈞, ed., Liu Jishan xueshu sixiang lunji ^劉 蕺山學術思想論集 (Collected essays on Liu Jishan’s academic thought) (Taipei: Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica, 1998), 102–107.

11. For a detailed background and the theoretical points involved in the two Four-Seven Debates, see Lee Ming-huei, Siduan yu qiqing—guanyu daode qinggan de bijiao zhexue tantao 四端與七情—關於道德情感的比較哲學探討 (The four buddings and the seven feelings: A comparative philosophical investigation of moral feelings) (Taipei: National Tai-wan University Press, 2005). The texts pertaining to the debates are included in an appendix at the end of the book. In what follows below, there is no intention of repeating this work.

Only a brief recounting of the background of the debate and the important points held by each side is presented in order to reveal their philosophical significance. Michael C. Kalton has also translated these same texts into English. See his The Four-Seven Debate: An Anno-tated Translation of the Most Famous Controversy in Korean Neo-Confucian Thought (Albany:

State University of New York Press, 1994). In this chapter, Kalton’s English translations of the texts pertinent to the Four-Seven Debate have been adopted with modest modifications.

12. For more background information on this matter, see Yi Toegye ^李退溪, Toegye seonsaeng munjip ^{退溪先生文集} (The collected writings of Master Toegye), in Hanguk munjip chonggan ^{韓國文集叢刊} (Compendium of Korean literary collections) (Seoul:

Minjok munhwa chujinhoe, 1996), vols. 29–31, gwon 41, 1a–2b. See also Jeong Jiun’s

“Cheonmyeong do seol seo” ^{天命圖說序} (Preface to the explanation of the diagram of the Heavenly Mandate), in Gi Gobong, Gobong jip ^高峰集 (The collected writings of Gi Gobong) (Seoul: Minjok munhwa chujinhoe, 1988/1989), vol. 3, 144. Zhu Xi’s doctrine can be found in the Zhuzi yulei, juan 53, vol. 4, 1297.

13. Yi Toegye ^李退溪, “Yeo Gi Myeong-eon” ^與奇明彥 (Letter to Gi Myeong-eon), Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 1b.

14. Gi Gobong ^奇高峰 and Yi Toegye ^李退溪, “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo” ^{兩先生四七理氣往復書} (Letters exchanged between the two masters on the four bud-dings, seven feelings, principle, and material force), in Gi Gobong, Gobong jip, vol. 3, 103;

Yi Toegye, “Gi Myeong-eon bi sadan chiljeong bun ligi byeon” 奇明彥非四端七情分理氣 辯 (The argument of Gi Myeong-eon against distinguishing the four buddings and seven feelings according to principle and material force), in Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 12b–14b.

15. These two works are found in “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 139–141. They are also contained in Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 17, 25b–30a.

16. “Reply to Gi Myeong-eon” (^答奇明彥) and “Second reply to Gi Myeong-eon” (^重 答奇明彥), in Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 17, 21b–25b; also in “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 47–49.

17. The five extant letters can be found in Seong Ugye ^成牛溪, Ugye jip ^牛溪集 (The collected writings of Seong Ugye), in Hanguk munjip chonggan, vol. 43, gwon 4; and also in Yi Yulgok ^李栗谷, Yulgok jeonseo ^栗谷全書 (The complete works of Yi Yulgok) (Seoul:

Seonggyungwan daehakgyo daedong munhwa yeonguwon, 1986), gwon 9–10.

18. The analysis that follows is not concerned with minor matters of literary expres-sion. However, in the process of comparing the main points of their philosophical positions, it is impossible to avoid dealing with the exposition of their different interpretations of Con-fucian texts, especially the Mencius and the writings of Zhu Xi.

19. Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 9. See also “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 103; and Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 10.

20. Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 10. See also “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wang-bok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 103; and Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 10.

21. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 112; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 42.

22. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 105–106; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 20. The passage from Zhu Xi is found in Zhuzi yulei, vol. 1, juan 4, 67.

23. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 102; Toegye seon-saeng munjip, gwon 16, 12b–13a; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 3–5.

24. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 113; Toegye seon-saeng munjip, gwon 17, 26b; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 20.

25. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 109; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 33.

26. Zhu Xi, Zhuzi wenji ^朱子文集 (The collected writings of Master Zhu), ed.

Chen Junmin ^陳俊民 (Taipei: Caituan faren defu wenjiao jijinhui, 2000), juan 58, vol. 6, 2825–2826.

27. Translation from James Legge, The Chinese Classics: Confucian Analects (Taipei:

SMC publishing, reprint 1991), 227.

28. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 114; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 46–47.

29. Zhu Xi, Zhuzi yulei, juan 53, vol. 4, 1285 and 1293.

30. Ibid., juan 4, vol. 1, 71.

31. This is my own translation.

32. D. C. Lau, trans., Mencius, vol. 2, 268–269.

33. Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 41; see also “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 125–126; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 77.

34. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 114; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 47.

35. Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 30b–31a; see also “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 121; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 63–64.

36. Ugye jip, gwon 4, 17.

37. Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 31b–32a; see also “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 121; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 65.

38. Toegye seonsaeng munjip, gwon 16, 36; see also “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 123; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 72.

39. “Yang seonsaeng sachil rigi wangbok seo,” in Gobong jip, vol. 3, 132; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 89.

40. Ibid.

41. Yi Yulgok, Yulgok jeonseo, vol. 1, gwon 10, 5a; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 131.

42. Yulgok jeonseo, vol. 1, gwon 10, 6a; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 133.

43. See Hu Guang ^胡廣, ed., Sishu daquan ^四書大全 (Complete compendium of the four books), in Wenyuange siku quanshu ^{文淵閣四庫全書} (Erudite literature pavilion edi-tion of the collected works of the four treasuries) (Taipei: Shangwu yinshuguan, 1986), vol.

205, Daxue zhangju daquan ^{大學章句大全}, 8b.

44. Yulgok jeonseo, vol. 1, gwon 10, 25b–26a; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 175. See also Yulgok jeonseo, vol. 1, gwon 10, 33, 40a; vol. 1, gwon 19, 59b–60a.

45. Yulgok jeonseo, vol. 1, gwon 10, 27; Ugye jip, gwon 4, 29a; Kalton, The Four-Seven Debate, 178.

46. Franz Brentano, Grundlegung und Aufbau der Ethik (Hamburg: Felix Meiner, 1977), 42.

47. See Scheler, Der Formalismus, 72–73 and 81–82.

48. Kant, Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten, 401, footnote.

49. See Mou Zongsan, Xinti yu xingti, vol. 3, 308.

Chapter 5: Wang Yangming’s Philosophy and Modern Theories of