This research was conducted to "Compare "Manhae's thought and the Discussion of East Asia in the Modern Perspective." In the first year of attempting this study, our research team concentrated on investigating the Literary ideology of Manhae, modernit ...
This research was conducted to "Compare "Manhae's thought and the Discussion of East Asia in the Modern Perspective." In the first year of attempting this study, our research team concentrated on investigating the Literary ideology of Manhae, modernity Buddhism as well as the discourse of the east Asia's culture in the early 20th century.
In the second year, the outcome of the research became the cornerstone in identifying the entire topographic map of the modern discussion of east Asia. Not only that but progressing identical experiment was held in targeted nations which generalized the Manhae's thought modernistic meaning.
In the first year, primarily, the research team systemized the modernistic and post-modernistic traits of Manhae's thought in three aspects: Literature, Buddhist, and Racial Philosophy (differences between the modern writers and Manhae's thought were compared and considered as well). Secondly, it accomplished in investigating the construction of theoretical groundwork for the modern discussion of east Asia's formation process. The research team selected topics that were very Darwin-like such as orientalism, occidentalism, post-colonial introspection, formation of modern nations, nationalism, as well as Buddhist philosophy of the modern days and published papers on them.
Next year, the research team used the outcome of the modern narrative study done on China, Japan, Vietnam, India, modernity & postmodernity from Manhae's thought shown in the first year of the experiment to perform a parallel study on Manhae's thought and east Asia's modern narrative such as India. Further, it unfolded the distinct characteristics and universality of discussion on modern formation of east Asia. Comparative study was done on nationalism, cosmopolitanism, east Asia's modernity & postmodernity and Buddhist philosophy's traits exposed by: Manhae and India, including modern east Asia's major writers as well as philosophers. Regular seminars, workshops and progress report presentations were held to study the topic officially.
Meanwhile, the research team planned professional Art and Science study as well as on international interchange and collaborative study to have both studies and practicality simultaneously.
Specific work done to vitalized this study may be shown as follows: First, in order to share studies internationally, an international study competition was held (topic: comparative study on Manhae's thought and east Asia's modern narrative) at village of Manhae of the Backdam temple, the international conference hall, and Kyunghee university's international campus in 2008 and 2009. Foreign contestants were the authoritarian of the modern east Asia study Masato (Tokyo univ. of Japan), Yin Haiyan(Nanjing univ of China), Leaing hoan(Hanoi univ. of Vietnam), Zhang Xiping(Beijing foreign studies univ of China), Anno Masahide(Japan. Sangmyung univ). On the other hand, many of the domestic contestants were our research team members and administrators who majored in Manhae studies.
This contest encouraged the participation of multinational researchers from the global community. It was helpful in that present movement related to the topic of the study was easily identifiable. The product of the contest was shared among specialists of various fields of study through the publication of individual work and research paper. In addition, an official website has been operating(www.manhaeac.com), providing a place for deepening and widening international and domestic relationship through the exchange of information.
Tapping "Manhae's thought"'s world historical universality was the consequence of the study besides, analyzing a new topographic map and traits of the east Asian modern narrative. Additionally, we can expect to secure a lively discussion on east Asia's presence in the modern era in the future as well.