Taoist Philosophy Reflected in the Social Reforms of Kim Jung-Geon

Kim Jung-Geon (1889-1933), one of the Korean independence activists during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Korea, developed a social reform theory with his own ideology called “Wonjong (元宗)”. Wonjong was his compilation of philosophical ideologies of all ages and countries, mainly consisting of two thoughts: Geukwon (極元) and Daegonghwa Muguk (大共和無國, anarchic- republicanism) - the former refers to his cosmological worldview, and the latter is a social reform ideology. In particular, the concept of “Muguk (無國, no country)” has a key role in his ideology and is closely related to a conception of the ideal society in Taoism. In this context, we herein reviewed on distinguishable features of his “Muguk-ism (anarchism)” from the Taoism and thus obtained the following conclusions. First, the thought of Kim Jung-Geon took clear inspiration from Zhuangzi. Second, instead of merely accepting or referring to Taoist thought, he sharply criticized inherent fatalistic and passive attitudes in Taoism and built up active and practical ideology by himself. Third, as he developed the social reform ideology to save the people against the Japanese invasion in the late Joseon Dynasty, he rejected Wuwei (無為, inaction), the core concept of Taoism, but accepted Yuwei (有爲, action) to promote social reform in the real world. He did not remain as a hermit or view the world in the ideological context of Taoist philosophy; he defected to Manchuria and lead the resistance movements to achieve his ideal society and to free Korea from the Japanese military and political rule. It is concluded that Kim Jung-Geon is a very rare and creative thinker across East Asia at the time, who critically made a compilation of philosophical ideologies of all ages and countries in critical viewing and applied to the real world to establish a practical methodology. His Taoism-based social reform ideology was not limited to the Japanese rule; it is sufficiently convincing even today in light of views that point out the crisis of civilization and the need for new social reform theory in this highly industrialized modern society. Furthermore, the further studies are also needed on his position in the history of Korean Philosophy as a philosopher at the beginning of the introduction of Western philosophy.