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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture by Sungkyunkwan University

4.8
stars
193 ratings

About the Course

This course will give you the cultural and historical background to begin your journey into Korean philosophy, and there is no prerequisite knowledge on philosophy required. Anybody who either has an interest in Korean culture, maybe through K-Dramas or K-pop, or an interest in philosophy from a cross-cultural perspective, are all welcome. Despite the growing interest in Korean culture, there are few courses which explore the fascinating topic of Korean philosophy. On this course, you’ll be introduced to concepts in Korean philosophy through an exploration of the Korean language, culture and perspective. The Korean cultural, social, and political environment has informed and transformed the intellectual assets of China and the West. You’ll explore the creative tensions that Koreans have experienced, and broaden your worldview as you discover a new philosophical approach....

Top reviews

CH

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The Zoom lesson was cringey, but I enjoyed most everything else. I wish the readings had been accessible through my library; I had to skip a lot of them because I couldn't source the material.

RR

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although it's a bit boring there are many things that I get and understand rather than just assuming that philosophy in Korea is the same as Asian philosophy as a whole

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1 - 25 of 57 Reviews for Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture

By Marina d L

Jul 6, 2021

I started the course because I am learning korean and I belive you can undestand a langue a lot more if you have historical, cultural and phylosophical notions from the country. For exemple, I had memorized when to use 이, 그 and 저 but only after the 우리-self discussion I could trully learn about them. It was a great intruduction couse and I am excited to learn more.

By Juan F C B

May 24, 2021

Great course, it is a unique experience to have a first approach to korean philosophy which is unique in the world and embraces a lot of asian philosophies. The lectures are very interesting, there is a lot of history, culture and philosophy. It's great for everyone from philosophers to fans of korean culture.

By madeleine j w

Aug 22, 2022

I thought that the beginning of the course was good as it explained the history of Korean philosophy. However, I could not understand the emphases on maeum, heart/mind, as a part of what makes Korean philosophy different from western philosophy. I think that we in the west also believe that the heart and mind are strongly connected and that all decisions are a combination of facts and feelings. This can be heard, for example, in the expressions: "I have a bad feeling about this," or "I have a good feeling about this," after a decision has been made.

Our medical and psychological disciplines and studies frequently talk about the mind/body connection in the most positive terms. A patient's thinking is usually considered instrumental in their prognosis after a diagnosis.

With the concept of uri 우리 explanation, I don't think it was described in a way that makes it clear what the difference is between the western use of the collective 'we' and the pronoun that includes only the speaker and a listener. Growing up in northern England, I frequently heard people refer to "our dad," "our sister," and so on in many conversations. I don't think the difference between the Korean use of 우리 and other western examples was clear.

One thing that was clear, though, was the idea that context is important and that Korean minds organize information in specific ways not familiar with people in other cultures.

I enjoyed the course, but felt it was extremely basic. I would like to see something a little more specific. For example, the Korean response to suffering, nationalism, and religious beliefs.

Thank you for the course.

Madeleine J. Whitfield

By Daya B G M

Jun 27, 2021

agradezco mucho la oportunidad que se me fue otorgada para poder llevar este curso tan enriquecedor ,gracias a este curso pude entender muchas cosas sobre la cultura, pensamiento y lenguaje coreano.

-gracias coursera y gracias Sungkyunkwan university.

By Kathy C

Jul 24, 2022

Interesting course, I especially enjoyed learning how they developed their writen language!!

By Marcos S d S

Sep 3, 2022

First of all, I want to thank So Jeong Park and SKKU, for providing their precious time and knowledge to make available this magnificent initial content of Korean Philosophy, learn a lot about the culture, concepts and various fascinating ideas of Eastern philosophy and for sure will add knowledge in Korean language studies. Thank you very much. The ideas exposed that caught my attention were the Four-Seven debate and the Horak Debate certainly opened up my worldview a lot, focusing on the source of our moral emotions in relation to our everyday feelings.

By Kathryn S

Mar 18, 2022

This course was informative, fascinating, intriguing and I loved every moment of it. I did get confused from time to time but I watched most of the videos more than once to better understand. I learned so much from this and I look forward to learning more.

By Amanda C

Feb 9, 2023

The course was educational, interactive, and fun! The professor was knowledgeable and made the concepts easy to grasp.

By Resnick_Fanisah

Jun 20, 2022

I like this course a lot. This gives me new perspective of life and understand Korea even better than before. There are subtitle, explanation, and illustration. Though there are some confusing parts, I would still recommend this to other learners. Later, you might have to read and find more information from other sources (this course provide some references too).

PS. You might have to memorize a lot on this course, and I think that's one of the reasons why it was a bit confusing to me. It's good if you can take down notes for the lessons.

By MOHD S

May 5, 2023

Amazing and interesting course really boosted my knowledge about Korean culture and philosophy.This course is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in learning about Korean philosophy and culture. Professor Park is a knowledgeable and passionate instructor, who provides a comprehensive overview of various aspects of Korean culture, including its history, language, literature, and arts.

By Pranoti Y

Feb 1, 2023

I really enjoyed this course. to be honest,this was my first online course and i completed it. overall i liked this course because everything was straightforward and having no confusion on assignments, which is a plus point.

thank you so much.

ps - i just want to ask that, i got the email for certificate but i don't have any of this ID's, so can i get the certificate after getting one of them ?

By Manya

Jul 3, 2022

THIS COURSE HAS BROADENED MY MIND AND MY WAY OF THINKING ABOUT KOREAN PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE. NOW I REALLY FEEL SO FAMILIAR WITH THE KOREAN WAY OF THINKING AND THEIR CULTURE AS WELL. I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT I KNOW AT LEAST SOMETHING ABOUT KOREAN PHILOSOPHY AND I WOULD LIKE TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THIS OCEAN OF KNOWLEDGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS AMAZING COURSE.

By Lily R

Apr 7, 2023

I picked this course by curiosity and I learned a lot more than expected! The informants are precise and pleasant to follow, the videos are clear and well-constructed. If you are okay with putting work in a MOOC and love theories behind Korean Philosophy, you will love this one. Have fun.

By Julieta M C

Feb 24, 2023

This course was a complete journey of knowledge for me. I enjoy learning more about the things I love the most, and I am happy that now I can receive this education from a high-quality institution easily. Thank you some much and I hope we all will be able to achieve our goals.

By SEVDE Ö

Aug 15, 2022

Thank you for this great introductory course to Korean philosophy. I got a chance to see Korean worldview and in-depth understanding of Korean social thought. Thank you Coursera family and Prof. So jeong Park. I will be eagerly waiting to second part of this course.

By A D A M

Jan 18, 2022

An excellent course that shows you the Korean philosophy and its beginnings, I really liked the handling of the course by the instructors and the support material, the videos and readings as well as the help links to read a little more about the topics.

By Sean W

Jun 9, 2022

It helps to have a basic understanding of the Korean language to get the most out of this course. However, I thought it was a great introduction to Korean culture and how it has weathered foreign cultural influence to develop its own unique world view.

By Sally K

Jul 22, 2023

This course was informative and I enjoyed it greatly. I would like to continue learning about Korean history and philosophy in the future. The lecturer was excellent and made each lesson enjoyable. Thank you

By Patrizio M

Jun 20, 2021

It was a great experience for me and i have gain lots of knowledge through this course, in a very efficient way, so thank you so much.

By khushi t

Sep 21, 2023

this course really help me to understand basics of korean philosophy and development and it is very flexible course to do.

By Maria C D B G

Aug 29, 2021

Very insightful study of Korean culture under philosophy, and the inseparable relation of philosophy and language.

By Sevasti H

Dec 1, 2022

Loved this course and the instructor. If you are interested in Korean culture-this is a perfect class!

By Anirudh N

Mar 19, 2024

Namaste Professor explains very well. I connect throughout the course. Even if I am not feeling bored.

By Ambreen S

Mar 14, 2022

it was great and I leare alot of novel concepts and get insight into korean cukture and it antecedents

By Refiqe D

Apr 7, 2023

This course added a lot to me. I got a lot of new info. I received information about Korean culture.