YI, I 李珥

Yija hakkyu 李子學則 [Master Yi’s School Rules]

19 folding leaves. Large 8vo (293 x 189 mm.), orig. brown patterned semi-stiff wrappers, orig. stitching. Jeollanam-do: Chukkok chŏngsa , 1929.

An exceedingly rare edition of Yi I’s Ŭnp’yŏng chŏngsa hakkyu (or Eunpyeong jeongsa hakkyu) 隱屏精舍學規 [School Rules for the Hidden Study Hall], Ŭnp’yŏng chŏngsa yaksok 隱屏精舍約束 [Compact for the Hidden Study Hall], and related texts as an independent work on “school rules.” We find no other copy in WorldCat, the Korean Old and Rare Collection Information System, or in other catalogues available to us. The copy at the Academy of Korean Studies (Jangseogak, MF35/8172) appears to be from a different edition, as the catalogue gives no publisher. These texts are usually found as a part of Yi’s collected works.

Yi I (Yi Yulgok 栗谷, 1536-84) was an official and one of the most influential Neo-Confucian thinkers of the Chosŏn period. The first text of this collection is titled “school regulations” (hakkyo kyubŏm 學校規範) and is dated 1582. In his “school rules,” written in 1578 (muin 戊寅), we read about his vision for a school open to all and free from the utilitarian demand to study for the civil service examinations. Yi writes: “First rule: Enrolling. Anyone can enroll, no matter if they are gentry or commoner. The only requirement is to have the will to study.” Other rules govern the students’ conduct when at school: “After a meal, or while swimming in the pool, you should still observe things and penetrate their principle, and talk and inform each other about meanings and principles. To play games or talk about trivial things in not permitted.” Yi made clear that the school was intended for disinterested scholarship alone, and not as preparation for an official career: “those who wish to prepare for the civil service examinations must go practice elsewhere.” The collection gives vivid insights into the pedagogical ideas of one of Chosŏn Korea’s key thinkers.

This edition was published at the Chukkok chŏngsa 竹谷精舍 academy in South Jeolla province of today’s South Korea in 1929. The academy, whose name appears on the title-page with the zodiacal date, was run by An Kyu-yong 安圭容 (1873-1959). It published several works of Confucianism.

Fine copy.

References

Paeksan 백산. “Chŏnnam posŏng: Chukkok chŏngsa” 전남 보성. 죽곡정사(竹谷精舍). https://live112.tistory.com/4908

Digital Jangseogak. https://jsg.aks.ac.kr/

Korean Old and Rare Collection Information System 한국고문헌종합목록. https://www.nl.go.kr/korcis/index.do.