Seongho Yi Ik: The New Compilation of the Four Beginnings and Seven Emotions

This is the first complete English translation of Sachil sinpyeon, a seminal work by the Korean philosopher Seongho Yi Ik (1681–1763). It offers a rich reinterpretation of the longstanding Four-Seven Debate, the discourse on the relationship between moral emotions (the Four Beginnings) and personal emotions (the Seven Emotions).

Youngsun Back, Associate Professor in the Department of Confucian Studies and Eastern Philosophy, Sungkyunkwan University,So-Jeong Park, Professor of Korean Philosophy, Sungkyunkwan University,Na Ha, Researcher at the K-Academic Expansion Project (KAEP), Sungkyunkwan University

Youngsun Back is Associate Professor in the Department of Confucian Studies and Eastern Philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea. Her research interest lies in the ethical and political dimensions of Chinese and Korean philosophy. Her recent publications include "The Mencian Theory of Royal Succession" (Philosophical Forum, 2024), "Yi Ik on Compassion and Grief" (Religions, 2023), and "Revealing Contingency through Shun's Ascension to the Throne" (Early China, 2020). Additionally, she co-edited Traditional Korean Philosophy: Problems and Debates (2016).

So-Jeong Park is Professor of Korean Philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University and the Director of Institute of Korean Philosophy and Culture (IKPC), where she leads the K-Academic Expansion Project (KAEP). Her research focus ranges from Korean philosophy and comparative philosophy to the philosophy of music. In addition to publishing widely in Korean and Chinese philosophy, she has developed several online courses on Coursera, including "Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture," "In Search for the Origins of Korean Philosophy," and "Korean Music: A Philosophical Exploration."

Na Ha is Senior Researcher at the K-Academic Expansion Project (KAEP), affiliated with Institute of Korean Philosophy and Culture (IKPC) at Sungkyunkwan University. She earned her PhD in Korean philosophy from Sungkyunkwan University. Her dissertation, titled Seongho Yi Ik's Four―Seven Theory as the Convergence and Transfiguration of Toegye and Yulgok, explores the development of Korean Confucian emotional theory through the use of digital humanities.