Oneness in Kwŏn Kŭn’s (1352–1409) Iphak tosŏl 入學圖說: From Philosophic Concept to Analytic Tool

The Iphak tosŏl 入學圖說 (“Diagrams and expositions for the entrance into learning”) is a collection of diagrams and explanations conceived by Kwŏn Kŭn (1352–1409) as a learning aid for the students of the early Korean Neo-Confucian scholar. As it was constructed to provide a comprehensive overview of the essentials of Neo-Confucian studies, it provides valuable insight into the way the first Korean learners of Cheng-Zhu thought understood its central concept of “oneness”. The goal of this article is to investigate how Kwŏn Kŭn interpreted and incorporated the idea of “oneness”, specifically the “one structure” with “myriad manifestations” ( iil punsu / liyi fenshu 理一分殊), in the constructions of his diagrams. An examination of the Song dynasty texts and diagrams that influenced Kwŏn Kŭn in the creation of his work reveals how the “one structure” is understood and consequently visualised as a thread that ties all things in the universe together. Through the quotes and references that the Korean scholar works into his diagrams, combined with their unique design, Kwŏn Kŭn is able to discretely continue the Neo-Confucian discourse on the relation of “one” and “many”.