[Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea April Recommended Books ③] "Philosophizing in Modern Korean"

[Asia Economy, Reporter Seo Mideum] The Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea announced its "April Recommended Books," including seven titles such as "Is This Your First Time with Cognitive Psychology?" (Book Mentor), as part of its "Book Sharing Committee" initiative.

The "Book Sharing Committee" is composed of experts from various fields. To expand demand for publications and promote a reading culture, the committee introduces recommended books each month, along with commentary, in seven categories: literature, humanities and arts, social sciences, natural sciences, general practical books, picture books and fairy tales, and youth.

The "April Recommended Books" include: "Is This Your First Time with Cognitive Psychology?" (Book Mentor), "A Very Peaceful Death" (Eulyoo Publishing), "Philosophizing in Modern Korean" (Memento), "Noh Myungwoo's One-Line Sociology" (EBS Books), "AI Knowledge Even Non-Majors Can Understand" (Banni), "Plant Counseling" (Book House), and "Queen of Words" (Bir Publishing), for a total of seven titles.

The Book Sharing Committee is chaired by Jung Subok (sociologist), with members including Kwon Bokgyu (Ewha Womans University College of Medicine professor), Ryu Daesung (author), Cho Kyungran (novelist), Jin Taewon (Sungkonghoe University professor), Choi Hyunmi (Munhwa Ilbo reporter), and Pyo Junghoon (critic).

Details about the recommended books and commentaries from the Book Sharing Committee can be found on the website of the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea or the Reading IN website.

Philosophizing in Modern Korean: Examining the Concepts and Translations of Philosophy | Written by Shin Wooseung et al. | Memento | 224 pages | 13,000 KRW

As the title suggests, this book attempts to "philosophize in modern Korean." Western philosophy has been integrated into Korea's educational system for nearly 80 years, and if we count from the Japanese colonial period, it has been well over 100 years. During this time, education and research on Western philosophy have made significant progress, and philosophy has influenced not only its own field but also other academic disciplines and the general public. However, it is still difficult to confidently say that philosophy, especially Western philosophy, is being practiced independently in Korea. One of the reasons is that many of the key concepts and terms of Western philosophy used in the Korean philosophical community are far removed from everyday Korean language. This book seeks a path to "philosophizing in modern Korean" by philosophically examining whether the philosophical concepts widely used in Korea are appropriately translated into Korean. While this may seem minor, it is a necessary and meaningful endeavor.

For example, there is the concept of "Myeongseok Panmyeong," which is well known in Descartes' philosophy. Upon learning that this is a translation of the French "claire et distincte" (in English, "clear and distinct"), anyone might feel puzzled. Considering modern Korean usage, it is hard to understand why "clear" is translated as "Myeongseokhan" and "distinct" as "Panmyeonghan." In fact, this translation was adopted directly from Japanese, but even though this uncomfortable fact is known, little has been done to address the problem. One of the authors of this book points out the issues with such translations based on philosophical arguments and proposes "Myeongryohago Gubyoldoeneun" ("clear and differentiated") as an alternative. The two co-authors then evaluate and present counterarguments, suggesting another alternative. As a result, the final alternative "Bunmyeonghago Myeongryohan" ("definite and clear") is presented. The core Kantian concept "transcendental" has traditionally been translated as "Seonheomjeok" ("a priori"), but this book, following the same process, proposes "Chowollonjeok" ("transcendental") as an alternative translation. Other major terms in Western philosophy, such as "metaphysics," "aesthetics," "epistemology," and "utilitarianism," are also examined, critiqued, and alternatives are proposed.

Some of the new terms proposed in this book may sound awkward or unfamiliar, but what is important is the process of raising issues, arguing, and debating that the three young philosophers undertake to create these alternatives. This process itself, which seeks a more reasonable and desirable way of thinking based on critical intelligence without fear of old conventions, exemplifies the unique virtue of philosophy.

- Jin Taewon, Research Professor at Sungkonghoe University

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.