Title: The Confucian kingship in Korea : Yŏngjo and the politics of sagacity /
Authors: Haboush, JaHyun Kim; Haboush, JaHyun Kim.
Publisher: Columbia University Press,
Year: 2001
Subjects: Yŏngjo,; Confucianism and state Korea.; Korea Politics and government; Korea Kings and rulers.
Abstract: "The Neo-Confucian kingship was based on the ideal of the sage king, an ordinary human being rendered supreme through his extraordinary virtue. The eighteenth-century Korean ruler Yongjo, one of that country's most illustrious, yet most tragic rulers, is a fascinating example of the Neo-Confucian sage kingship. In this book, JaHyun Kim Haboush provides an introduction to traditional Korean culture through the story of Yongjo, and offers profound insights into the complex interplay between Confucian rhetoric and the politics of the Yi monarchy. Haboush focuses on the deteriorating relationship between Yongjo and his only son, Crown Prince Sado, and relates the agonizing choices the Confucian ruler was forced to make between saving either his son or his dynasty. Originally published as A Heritage of Kings, this paperback edition contains a new preface reflecting new discoveries and updated scholarship in the field."--BOOK JACKET.
Contents: Introduction -- Confucian kingship and royal authority in the Yi monarchy -- Yongjo's reign: images of sagehood -- Yongjo's rule: politics of patriarchy -- Yongjo's court: magnificent harmony -- Yongjo's tragedy: the prince of mournful thoughts.