Pak Chiwŏn
Pak Chiwŏn (1737–1805), styled Yŏnam, was a philosopher and novelist in the late Joseon dynasty. He has been regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the so-called "Practical Learning (silhak)" movement. Chiwŏn belonged to the "School of Profitable Usage and Benefiting the People" to promote the industrialization of his country and the development of trade by positively introducing western technologies to Joseon Korea.
Also recorded as Mijung Pak · Yeonam · Pak Chi-wǒn · Chi-wŏn Pak
Pak Chiwŏn
Park Ju-su · Public domain
- Born
- 1737
- Died
- 1805
- Nationality
- Joseon
- Occupation
- philosopher · writer · politician · poet
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q495720
In this article
Biography
Biography
Chiwŏn proposed that Joseon import advanced technologies from the Qing dynasty, and promote mercantilism. The scholars Pak Chega, Yu Deukgong and Yi Tŏngmu were influenced by Pak Chiwŏn.
Key facts
Key facts
• Hangul — %박지원 • Hanja — 朴趾源
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Pak Chiwŏn • Other Names — Yŏnam • Born — 5 March 1737 • Birthplace — Hanseong, Joseon • Died — 10 December 1805 • Place of death — Hanseong, Joseon • Era — 18th-century philosophy • Region — Korean Confucianism • School Tradition — Silhak • Notable Works — Collection of the Rock of swallow(Also called Yŏnam chip), The Jehol Diary
Belief
Belief
Along with Hong Taeyong, he argued that the ground is not flat but round. He saw that the Earth could be a large circle, not a flat surface. It also claimed that the land consists of one dust and soil. He argued that the world is objectively real, from celestial bodies to all things, and that everything in the universe is created in the process of the particle of dust and movement and change. Pak's claim that the Earth is a round circle was accepted as absurd.
Popular culture
Popular culture
• Portrayed by Jung Yoo-seok in the 2014 tvN TV series The Three Musketeers.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1737
Pak Chiwŏn was born in 1737.
1805
Pak Chiwŏn died at Seoul.
Books
• The Jehol Diary • Yangban chŏn • Hŏ saeng chŏn • Yŏnam chip Pak Chiwŏn was also influenced by Chinese writers and technology. He wrote farming manuals with recommendations and was active in practical agronomy. His farming books were Kwonongsocho and Nongjongsinso.
Personal criticism
Pak Chiwŏn's appearance is described in Kwajŏng-rok (過庭錄), written by his son, Pak Chongch'ae. He was tall and very big, had a long face, prominent cheekbones, and a double eyelid. The record is almost identical to the remaining portraits of Pak Chiwŏn. Pak also said that his voice was so loud that he could be heard far outside the fence even if he spoke. Although there was one portrait depicting Pak Chiwŏn as a middle-aged man, Yŏnam forced him to destroy the portrait, saying it was less than 70 percent of his original self, and he never accepted his son's plea to paint it again. Pak Chiwŏn was also not able to negotiate easily with others. Kim Ki-soon said, "He lacked the power to hold down smoothly because he was so graceful, and he was always too strong to have a smooth side." Pak Chiwŏn also admitted, "It's all because of my personality that I've been through this sort of mess all my life." In fact, Pak entered the government office with a sound letter and served as a minister of internal affairs and internal affairs, but was not included in key posts in the government.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Pak Chiwŏn (philosopher), revision 1307400409 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.고미숙. Seoul Shinmun. 7 March 2011.
- 2.ko:박지원.
- 3.Encyclopaedia Korea its land, people and culture of all ages (1960) Hakwon-sa Ltd, under Agronomy (at 465)
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Painter MüllerAuthor
- Paisius of HilendarAuthor
- Päivi RäsänenAuthor
- PajsijeAuthor
- Pak Je-gaAuthor
- Pak Mok-wolAuthor
- Pak Tu-jinAuthor
- Pál KirályhegyiAuthor
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