I thought that the beginning of the course was good as it explained the history of Korean philosophy. However, I could not understand the emphases on maeum, heart/mind, as a part of what makes Korean philosophy different from western philosophy. I think that we in the west also believe that the heart and mind are strongly connected and that all decisions are a combination of facts and feelings. This can be heard, for example, in the expressions: "I have a bad feeling about this," or "I have a good feeling about this," after a decision has been made.
Our medical and psychological disciplines and studies frequently talk about the mind/body connection in the most positive terms. A patient's thinking is usually considered instrumental in their prognosis after a diagnosis.
With the concept of uri 우리 explanation, I don't think it was described in a way that makes it clear what the difference is between the western use of the collective 'we' and the pronoun that includes only the speaker and a listener. Growing up in northern England, I frequently heard people refer to "our dad," "our sister," and so on in many conversations. I don't think the difference between the Korean use of 우리 and other western examples was clear.
One thing that was clear, though, was the idea that context is important and that Korean minds organize information in specific ways not familiar with people in other cultures.
I enjoyed the course, but felt it was extremely basic. I would like to see something a little more specific. For example, the Korean response to suffering, nationalism, and religious beliefs.
Thank you for the course.
Madeleine J. Whitfield
