Traditional Thoughts and Practices in Korea

The nine essays presented in this volume represent the Humanity and Social Science disciplines, with contributions from anthropology, history, music philosophy, and sociology. Nevertheless, despite the diversity, the reader will be immediately impressed by the fact that the philosophical foundations of Korean culture and civilization are very old. And not only are they old. The underpinnings of society have shown such strength and resilience that even the casual visitor to Korea must be struck by the numerous contemporary manifestations of these ancient principles that dictate so many aspects of life, affecting everything from political organization to moral values. The essays on fortunetelling and shamanism deal with such modern versions of old practices.... On reaching the end of this book the reader will have become impressed by the ancient philosophical and moral foundations of Korean society. The reader with a first-hand knowledge of contemporary Korea, a country vibrant with all the dynamic forces of the twentieth century world, will also recognize the fact that these foundations have proved to be strong and tenacious. Despite the upheavals of the nineteenth centuries, the essentials of traditional Korea still continue to flavor, dictate, and even dominate the very nature of life.