Han Weon-jin

Han Weon-jin (韓元震, 1682 ~ 1751) was a scholar-official, Neo-Confucian scholar, and philosopher of the late Joseon period.

His courtesy name was Deokso (德昭), and his pen name was Namdang (南塘). His family seat was Cheongju.

He was a disciple of Kwon Sang-ha (權尙夏) and one of the Eight Scholars of Gangmun (強門八學士).

He completed the Juseo Dongigo (朱書同異考), an unfinished posthumous work that Song Si-yeol had attempted to compile, in fifty years.

During the Horak debate, as the leader of the Horon (湖論) faction opposing the Nakron (洛論), he upheld Yi I's theory of "qi issuing, principle riding on it, one path" (氣發理乘一途說).

Life

Early on, he studied under Song Si-yeol, the leader of the Noron faction of the Westerners, and Kwon Sang-ha, the principal disciple of Song Jun-gil.

Among Kwon Sang-ha's disciples, he was highly renowned and gained fame as one of the Eight Scholars of Gangmun, the eight leading disciples of Kwon.

In the 43rd year of Sukjong, he was recommended for his scholarly conduct and entered official service, but

in the first year of Gyeongjong, with the downfall of the Noron, he resigned from office.

In the first year of Yeongjo, he was selected as a lecturer of the Gyeongyeon (經筵官) and gave lectures, but he was dismissed for advocating the exclusion of the Soron, which was held to violate the Tangpyeong policy.

In the 17th year of Yeongjo, he was reinstated but declined and devoted himself wholeheartedly to scholarship.

As one of the Eight Scholars of Gangmun under Kwon Sang-ha, he opposed Yi Gan's theory of the sameness of human and things' nature and argued that the natures of humans and things are not the same, which gave rise to the Debate on the Sameness and Difference of Human and Animal Nature (人物性同異論辨).

As the leader of the Horon, which opposed the Nakron, he upheld Yi I's theory of "qi issuing, principle riding on it, one path."

He was also well versed in astronomy (天文), geography (地理), military science (兵學), and mathematics (算數).

Besides his collected works Namdangjip (南塘集), he left many edited and annotated works, including Toegyejip Chaui (退溪集箚疑), Jangja Byeonhae (莊子辨解), Yangmyeongjip Byeon (陽明集辨), Seonhak Tongbyeon (禪學通辨), and Geunsarok Juseol (近思錄註說).

In particular, the Juseo Dongigo (朱書同異考), which he wrote in the 17th year of Yeongjo, was a monumental work completed in fifty years from the project that Song Si-yeol had begun. After his death, he was posthumously granted the title of Minister of Personnel (吏曹判書) and was given the posthumous name Munsun (文純).