Think No Evil: Korean Values in the Age of Globalization - Hardcover

Alford, C. Fred

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801436664 ISBN 13: 9780801436666

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 1999

Synopsis

In this investigation of the contemporary notion of evil, C. Fred Alford asks what we can learn about this concept, and about ourselves, by examining a society where it is unknown―where language contains no word that equates to the English term "evil." Does such a society look upon human nature more benignly? Do its members view the world through rose-colored glasses? Korea offers a fascinating starting point, and Alford begins his search for answers there.

In conversations with hundreds of Koreans from diverse religions and walks of life―students, politicians, teachers, Buddhist monks, Confucian scholars, Catholic priests, housewives, psychiatrists, and farmers―Alford found remarkable agreement about the nonexistence of evil. Koreans regard evil not as a moral category but as an intellectual one, the result of erroneous Western thinking. For them, evil results from the creation of dualisms, oppositions between people and ideas.

Alford's interviews often led to discussions about imported ways of thinking and the impact of globalization upon society at large. In particular, he was struck by how Koreans' responses to globalization matched Westerners' views about evil. In much of the world, he argues, globalization is the ultimate dualism―attractive for the enlightenment and freedom it brings, terrifying for the great social and personal upheaval it can cause.

About this title

About the Author:

C. Fred Alford is Pro-fessor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is the author of nine books, most recently What Evil Means to Us, also from Cornell.

Review:

"Think No Evil is an ambitious, inventive, highly nuanced, yet circumspect exploration of both the hazards and the opportunities currently facing Korean culture. It will be of interest to those who seek to think critically about globalization in general, as well as, to those with an interest in exploring how such changes are altering―just as they further embed―the Korean concepts of the self."

(Michael Goodwin Korean Studies Review)

"This is an excellent and intriguing book for those who 'share hopes and fears' in everyday life. What is fascinating is Alford's treatment of the meaning of the absence of evil in Korean thought.... Think No Evil will be of fascinating theoretical and intellectual interest to Koreans and scholars in Korean studies."

(Byung-ok Kil, Center for Asia-Pacific Studies Korean Studies)

"C. Fred Alford skillfully examines one of the oldest human dilemmas, evil, in relation to one of the newest world phenomena, globalization, as a way of understanding Korean values. This book is highly recommended not only for those who are interested in Korea, experts and non-experts alike, but also for anyone interested in issues dealing with evil and the significance of globalization in East Asia."

(Young-Chan Ro, George Mason University Acta Koreana)

"I highly recommend Think No Evil for anyone with a taste for the study of culture, religion, philosophy, or an interest in the state of mind of post-IMF Korea today. Dr. Alford's expertise in Western and Eastern philosophy is obvious... but the real surprise is the depth and sympathy through which he approaches his subject matter.... He expounds his views with the confidence that comes from intimate knowledge, not ideological dogma. Think No Evil is a helpful mirror to the face of changing Korea."

(Jin S. Kim Korean Quarterly)

About this edition

• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0801436664
• ISBN 13: 9780801436666
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224