There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 192

What is science?

In modern times, things like beds, K5 cars [likely referring to a specific car model], and face reading are called science, but in this era, the word ‘science’ doesn’t exist.

Now that I think about it, I seem to recall that the word ‘science’ (科學) itself was a translated term brought in from Japan.

‘But does the concept of science exist in Joseon [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897] now, even under a different name?’

Frankly, it was ambiguous.

Clearly, Confucian scholars were interested in mathematics, astronomy, surveying, and medicine, but only as separate fields.

The concept of ‘science’ as a unified discipline simply didn’t exist.

I’m not even sure if it exists in the West at this point.

‘Well, if I don’t know about it, it probably doesn’t exist.’

However, I felt the need to invent a systematic research method that could be applied across all fields.

“So, you summoned me to ask for my thoughts on this book?”

Do asked, flipping through the thin book I had written.

I nodded at Do’s question.

“You have people under you, don’t you, Hyung-nim [older brother or respected male figure]?”

“Ah, those guys.”

I had considered them for a moment, it was true.

However, while Yi Cheon and Jang Yeong-sil were excellent talents as engineers, science and technology weren’t exactly perfectly matched.

It didn’t seem like I could get much help from them in establishing the theoretical foundation.

“So, what is this book? A scientific methodology?”

Perhaps because the word ‘science’ itself was unfamiliar, he asked, flipping through the book.

I had considered introducing a different translated term familiar to the people of this era, but I gave up because I thought it would only confuse me further.

Anyway, modern Koreans learn and use the word without thinking, so whatever.

“In simple terms, it’s a book about how to explore the underlying principles of things.”

“Hoo, the principles of things. For example?”

I pointed to the sky and asked.

“Why do you think lightning strikes from the sky?”

“? It doesn’t strike, though?”

“······.”

I closed my mouth as Do asked, looking at the clear sky without a single cloud.

‘Pointing at the moon, and he’s looking at my finger [missing the bigger picture].’

However, I shouldn’t scold my cool and awesome older brother.

I made an effort to add a kind explanation.

“Let’s assume there’s a storm with rain and lightning. Why does that kind of thing happen?”

He, who was familiar with reading the classics, answered fluently.

“The ancients said that people’s rights and wrongs resonate with nature, so the heavens reveal their majesty to rebuke them, I’ve heard.”

“Do you believe that?”

“No?”

Do continued.

“Looking at the historical records, all sorts of auspicious signs like blue giraffes and white deer appear, but countries that will prosper do prosper, and countries that will fall do fall.”

‘He was paying attention to that, too.’

It was a part I had passed over without much thought.

“Then, even if the same disaster occurs, how can we know whether it came because of resonance (感應) [kanyō, a concept of interconnectedness] or naturally without resonance?”

The conclusion was that it didn’t matter much.

I suddenly became curious and asked.

“But why did you answer like that earlier?”

“Even if I don’t believe it, everyone else believes it, so I have to answer like this for everyone to admire me for being clever.”

Do shrugged and replied.

A sly model student.

“I’m not sure what meaning such praise has, though.”

He muttered, slightly turning his head.

I don’t know why he suddenly felt down, but I nodded and agreed.

“Anyway, that’s right. In a word, it’s nonsense.”

Of course, disasters don’t particularly pick and choose who they strike.

I wondered how many kings in history felt wronged because of this theory of heavenly induction.

I don’t know if they actually worked hard to defend themselves, but even if they did, it was useless.

The theory of disasters had long been established as a political logic to emphasize the king’s misgovernment, regardless of the facts.

‘Even if a meteor falls, it’s because the king lacks virtue; even if lightning strikes, it’s because the king lacks virtue. The purpose is to look after the public sentiment, but I don’t know what to do.’

Even if it’s the officials’ roundabout warning to be good to the king, believing that it’s an actual principle operating in the natural world is another matter.

‘Rather, the cause and effect might be reversed. It may not be that disasters befall the country because the king is a tyrant, but that the king is recorded as a tyrant because disasters befall the country.’

Similar to how the president gets blamed during a recession, when a country declines, it’s all recorded as being because the king at the time was licentious and tyrannical.

“If we collect all the famines that have occurred in history and make statistics, it may not be that disasters are more common only during the reign of bad kings.”

Do showed interest in my words.

“We’ve strayed from the topic, but this is what scientific methodology is all about: examining logical cause and effect.”

“Hoo.”

Do showed interest.

The book I had scribbled with a pencil was similar in content.

Of course, not many stories were included due to the book’s length.

‘Was it the hypothetical-deductive model······?’

I simply described the process of forming a hypothesis after observation, verifying it, and organizing it into a theory, and then added a few appropriate examples.

“This is one method of investigating things that I have newly created.”

Of course, this isn’t the only scientific method, but that was something that could be spread gradually.

Having finished explaining the book appropriately, I finally got to the main point.

“I’m thinking of making this book a required subject in the Four Schools of Hanyang [capital of Joseon] and the local Hyanggyo [local schools].”

Since the Samgang Haengsildo (Illustrations of the Three Bonds) [a Confucian text] was a big hit for educational purposes, I was planning to publish a textbook this time.

Of course, I’m not a great sage, and it’s highly doubtful whether the officials will recognize a book on scientific methods as part of the regular curriculum in addition to the Four Books and Three Classics [core Confucian texts].

‘Various instruments naturally reveal their effects once they’re made, so everyone acknowledges that they’re useful, but this kind of book is different.’

That’s why I had been pondering all night and created a fairly solid logic.

“Investigating things to attain knowledge (格物致知) [gewu zhizhi, a Neo-Confucian concept], Zhu Xi [influential Neo-Confucian scholar] also emphasized exploring things to investigate principle (理), so how can learning this book not be the duty of a gentleman (君子) [junzi, a Confucian ideal]?”

‘Heh heh.’

Even if my Confucian studies were in vain, I know what investigating things to attain knowledge is about.

Even though Joseon is dominated by Confucian logic, there’s no way there wouldn’t be one or two useful phrases like this if you search through the classics.

This saying came from Zhu Xi, the father of Neo-Confucianism, so there was no way the Joseon people, who were crazy about Zhu Xi, wouldn’t accept it.

‘How about that?’

However, Do tilted his head and said.

“Um, but you’ve misinterpreted that, Hyung-nim. The purpose of investigating things that Zhu Xi emphasized is not in material things (物) below form, but in clarifying human relations and lecturing on the words of the sages.

To borrow Zhu Xi’s words, hoping to gain something by paying attention to a single plant or a single instrument is like boiling sand to make rice.

Didn’t Confucius also say that a gentleman is not a tool (君子不器) [junzi bu qi, a gentleman should not be limited to a single skill]?”

“······Ack.”

While I was panicking, a barrage of rebuttals poured out of his mouth.

“Also, Hyung-nim, you discussed the principle of how lightning is created, but Zhu Xi said about Zheng Yi and Shao Yong discussing the origin of thunder, ‘Do we necessarily have to know where thunder originates (伊川謂雷自起處起. 何必推知其所起處)?’ [a quote emphasizing focusing on moral principles rather than natural phenomena]

As the Crown Prince, you don’t get close to orthodox learning and instead pay attention to these techniques, so I understand why Zixia was wary of falling into minor paths (小道) [xiaodao, lesser or unorthodox teachings].”

“Ugh······.”

‘The logic I had squeezed out all night was refuted in an instant.’

I suddenly felt like a graduate student being criticized by a professor.

I felt like my head was splitting as I was thoroughly roasted for speaking carelessly.

‘This is why you shouldn’t carelessly meddle in fields you don’t know about.’

It was when I was racking my brains, having been instantly defeated by my younger brother’s rebuttal.

“······Or so I would have said.”

Then Do smiled slyly.

“What.”

“I’m just kidding.”

“I think this book that Hyung-nim compiled is very useful.”

“Really?”

I asked with a dumbfounded expression.

He, who had been oppressing his older brother until just now, saying, ‘Your logic is trash!’ suddenly changed his attitude like flipping his palm.

“But I had no choice but to refute you since you were clumsily discussing investigating things to attain knowledge.”

Do pouted and said.

“If you had said that to the officials, you would have been refuted even more sharply. Your plan to distribute this book to the schools would have been ruined.”

It meant that I would have been utterly humiliated.

“The problem is that you are not well-versed in Confucianism, yet you are trying to justify your studies by relying on Confucianism. Why are you trying to fight on an unfavorable battlefield?”

“Then what should I do?”

“When have you ever defeated the officials with a frontal attack, Hyung-nim?”

Anyone who heard that would think I had been consistent with tricks and schemes.

I exclaimed, flaring up.

“Of course there was······was there?”

“Then there’s no need to argue with the officials. Since you have the paper and the printing press anyway, just print it and distribute it. The number of people who want to study is increasing, and if they don’t have the Four Books and Three Classics, they’ll look at that instead.”

“Is that so?”

I scratched my cheek at the novel solution.

Well, it would be enough for me if it just became established as essential knowledge for scholars.

“If the backlash is strong······.”

Do said with a sinister smile.

“Just throw them all into the gulag and say that Hyung-nim is right!”

‘What a scary guy.’

I don’t know who he learned such solutions from.

===

“Teacher, the complete edition of the Samgang Haengsildo has been released.”

Gil Jae, facing the revised edition brought by his disciple Kim Suk-ja, let out an unknown laugh.

“Haha······.”

The anecdote of Mun Chung-gong Jeong Mong-ju [a Goryeo dynasty scholar] was also included in the biographies of loyal subjects, just as he had subtly requested.

‘Is this also the Crown Prince’s confidence?’

Even if Jeong Mong-ju was reinstated, he was the one who blocked the founding of Joseon, so wouldn’t it be very uncomfortable?

However, looking at the cartoons in the Samgang Haengsildo, it was evident that Joseon’s position was already as solid as a rock and wouldn’t be shaken by this.

That brought bitterness to Gil Jae.

In addition, as the Crown Prince had really boasted, wasn’t it also described in detail what attitude superiors should have?

‘Does the Crown Prince really think this way?’

Even in Confucianism, mutual trust between superiors and subordinates was emphasized.

However, in reality, only the attitude of obedience that subordinates should have towards superiors was emphasized.

‘If the king only demands morality from his subjects, who will follow such a king? There must be something coming and going. Isn’t society originally made up of such contracts?’

At first glance, it seemed to justify his grandfather, the usurper Yi Seong-gye, and declare that he had received the Mandate of Heaven from the incompetent Goryeo [previous Korean dynasty].

‘But when you think about it, wouldn’t our Taejo [King Taejo, founder of Goryeo] be the same?’

Goryeo’s Taejo Wang Geon also rose up and founded a new dynasty when Gung Ye [tyrant of Later Goguryeo] committed tyranny.

Gil Jae had no intention of denying that righteous act.

He couldn’t put the usurper Yi Seong-gye in the same rank as Taejo Wang Geon – that was Gil Jae’s last stubbornness – so the founding of Joseon was still an unjust act, but the Crown Prince’s words didn’t seem particularly wrong.

Rather, what caught his interest was that expression.

‘To borrow the Crown Prince’s expression, Gung Ye broke the contract with the people first, so the people turned away and had Taejo establish a new country.’

He had never heard of the kings who founded countries making any promises with the people.

“What a strange human being······.”

Gil Jae muttered.

End

ⓒ Pitkong