This Open Access book explores the worldviews of five major Joseon era Korean Neo-Confucian philosophers of vital energy (gi  기/氣 qi) : Kim Siseup, Seo Gyeongdeok, Im Seongju, Hong Daeyong and Choe Hangi. It also elucidates the practical implications of their positions. Jung-Yeup Kim shows how these thinkers respectively utilized and developed the notion of gi to philosophically overcome various kinds of divisions of their times for the purpose of practically enhancing the vitality of the human experience. He also comparatively engages the thought of these thinkers with the ideas of various scholars in the field of contemporary everyday aesthetics. By doing so, Kim shows the contemporary relevance of the thoughts of each philosopher and the further practical implications of their ideas. The book is relevant for professors, scholars, and students of Asian and Comparative Philosophy/Religion and Asian Studies.

Jung-Yeup Kim is an Associate Professor in The School of Multidisciplinary Social Sciences and Humanities at Kent State University, USA.