포스트 모던 시대와 동학

Abstract

This study aims to verify why Dong Hak is necessary in the present time that is often termed as the post-modern era. This verification effort should start with correct understanding of Dong Hak. This study will evidence that Dong Hak(東學, “Eastern Study”) is not just a science that lies in contrast with Suh Hak(西學, “Western Study”) which was introduced into the Oriental society in the 19th century. It further accounts that Dong Hak is not Simply an ethnic religion, but a cosmopolitan belief that can be expanded into cosmic ideology. To authenticate this point, quoted in this paper are Dong Hak founder Suwun’s idea of “Sichunjoo”(侍天主, meaning “I serve God within me”) and Haewon’s thoughts of “Samkyung”(三敬, “Thought of honoring the three”) and “I-chun-shik-chun”(以天食天, heaven eats heaven). Their thoughts are closely related to the idea of cosmic community that whole cosmos is one living entity. Today, in the post-modem era, the future of mankind is no longer described as being Utopian, but on the contrary very negative views are prevailing. Materialism and alienation in the late industrial period has brought about material-oriented society and politics, and it has even created sexually corrupt society. This will eventually devastate men’s life and ruin environment in the name of regional development that merely represents men’s egoistic interest. The human beings have played a leading role in this devastation. This is based on their self-centered desire to subjugate everything under the cosmos into their control. In this process harmony and order have broken up, and men are beginning to be aware of the crisis that this may lead to the collapse of human society in the end. This represents the current situation that we are faced with in the post-modem era. In this post-modem era, Dong Hak intends to provide teachings to bring change into the structure of our society and social value; the change from wealth, power and intelligence to moral, from strife and disruption to harmony, from androcentric family to harmonized household, from anthropocentric thinking to emphasis on the value of life, and from innate nature of disorder and repression to acquired value of new order. In the post-modem society of today, the true sense of Dong Hak should be contemplated and embodied from this standpoint of view.