The process of emergence and their ideological foundations of Joseon's Seowon and Western medieval universities
Authors:   Institute of Korean Cultural Studies Yeungnam University, Chung soon woo 
Published: October 2024

The similarities between Confucianism, the ideological foundation of Seowon, and Thomism, the ideology of medieval universities, have already been of interest to academics for a long time. Medieval universities in the 13th century newly interpreted and accepted Aristotle's philosophy, and the active discussion culture of the universities at the time became the driving force behind Thomas Aquinas' unique ‘metaphysics of being.’ These two medieval thoughts share the belief that the fundamental order of the world can be understood and the ultimate reality can be understood through the light of reason. Nevertheless, it is difficult to view the Li that Toegye sought in Seowon education as being equivalent to the Li as a ‘causa exemplaris’ in Thomism.
In other words, the characteristics of Seowon education can be read in that the boundary of ‘saintly life’ that Confucian scholars strive to reach is distinct from God as defined in Thomism Looking at specific history, the 16th century Joseon's Seowon has many similarities with the monastic system that appeared from the late 4th century, if only in terms of its moral orientation or religious inclination. Of course, in that a monk pursues an apostolic life (Vita Apostolica) pursuing the spirituality of God, it is strictly distinguished from the Seowon that rejects transcendent divinity. However, there is a consensus in the attitude of valuing abstinence and piety in daily life and valuing practical studies low.
On the other hand, medieval universities were the product of an ‘urban institution.’ Cathedral schools and city schools also had secular intentions to meet the needs of society due to population growth and urbanization. In contrast, H. Grundmann, a researcher on medieval universities, views early universities from a more conservative perspective. According to him, early universities were established purely for academic purposes. Scholars with these conservative views say that “universities functioned as houses where ‘wisdom’ could reside on its own.” Meanwhile, the Seowon system is a product of the rural economy. What is outstanding about the early Seowon system is that it neatly presents an intellectual blueprint for finding the ‘true self’ through introspection. The literati’s(⼠) are pursuing a life of seeking ‘sanctity’, which is practical study beyond wisdom. The Seowon functioned as the optimal space to regain the true nature of the human mind through study, to restore one's true self, and finally to reach the world of a saint.
Meanwhile, Western society was much more flexible in terms of the possibility of status mobility through school. The fact that intellectuals or readers were granted social privileges was a common phenomenon in the East and West. In medieval Europe, in the early days of the formation of universities, university members were granted privileges equivalent to clergy.
However, it is noteworthy that there were a significant number of citizens and farmers who were not nobles. In communes and autonomous cities, representatives of guilds gathered together to run the cities jointly, so universities were naturally under the strong influence of guilds. There were also a significant number of people from paupers. In addition, the fact that universities secured their own autonomy early on helped various academic developments. It is worth noting that students were subject to the jurisdiction of the university, regardless of church law, state law, or city law.