Seo Gyeong-deok

Seo Gyeong-deok
Hangul	서경덕
Hanja	徐敬德
Revised Romanization	Seo Gyeongdeok
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏ Kyŏngdŏk
Art name
Hangul	화담
Hanja	花潭
Revised Romanization	Hwadam
McCune–Reischauer	Hwadam

Seo Gyeong-deok (Korean: 서경덕; Hanja: 徐敬德; 18 March 1489 – 13 August 1546^[1]) was a Korean Neo-Confucianist philosopher during the Joseon period. His philosophy studied materialism and phenomenology based on ancient taoist philosophy theories absorbed by neoconfucianism, like Yin and Yang and Ki.^[2]

Works

Seo was a great scholar of the day. He counted among his students the famed gisaeng Hwang Jini, for whom he wrote this sijo:

마음이 어린 후이니 하는 일이 다 어리다
만중운산(萬重雲山)에 어느 님 오리마는
지는 잎 부는 바람에 행여 귄가 하노라

My heart is young
  so I act young all the time.
  Clouds hide this distant mountain:
  who would ever visit me here?
But old leaves rustle in the wind:
  I hope it’s her.^[3]

Other works:

Hwadamjip (화담집; 花潭集) - collection of his writings
Woniki (원이기; 原理氣) - About origin of Qi
Igiseol (이기설; 理氣說) - about processing of Qi
Taeheoseol (태허설; 太虛說) - About Mu of Qi
Gwisin sasaengnon (귀신사생론; 鬼神死生論) - about spirit of soul and life and death.

Disciples

Hwang Jin-yi - Korean poet and artist
Heo Gyun - Korean novelist, philosopher, and politician
Yi Ji-ham (이지함) - Korean astrologer, diviner, and politician
Heo Nanseolheon - Korean poet
Han Baek-gyeom (한백겸) - Geographer and philosopher
Park Sun (박순) - Philosopher and politician

Family

Father - Seo Ho-beon (서호번; 徐好蕃)
Mother - Lady Han of the Boan Han clan (보안 한씨; 保安韓氏)
Sibling(s)
- Younger brother - Seo Sung-deok (서숭덕; 徐崇德)
Wives and their issue
- Lady Yi of the Taein Yi clan (태안 이씨; 泰安李氏); daughter Yi Gye-jong (이계종; ? – 7 January 1561)
  - Son - Seo Eung-ga (서응가; 徐應暇)
  - Son - Seo Eung-gi (서응기; 徐應麒)
  - Daughter - Lady Seo of the Dangseong Seo clan (당성 서씨)
- Unnamed concubine
  - Son - Seo Eung-bong (서응봉; 徐應鳳)
  - Son - Seo Eung-gu (서응구; 徐應龜)

References

^ In Lunar Calendar, Seo was born on 17 February 1489 and died on 7 July 1546
^ "화담 서경덕(徐敬德)의 기(氣) 철학". Bravo Life!. April 3, 2014.
^ David Bannon, “Sijo Poetry of Korean Kisaeng,” Hangul Herald, Fall 2008: 10-13. Excerpted and used with permission.

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[1] In Lunar Calendar, Seo was born on 17 February 1489 and died on 7 July 1546

[2] "화담 서경덕(徐敬德)의 기(氣) 철학". Bravo Life!. April 3, 2014.

[3] David Bannon, “Sijo Poetry of Korean Kisaeng,” Hangul Herald, Fall 2008: 10-13. Excerpted and used with permission.

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