[The Liberal in Your Pocket] Yusuwon Nongam

Yu Suwon (1694–1755) of Nongam, who advocated division of labor and specialization in 18th-century Joseon

- Born in Cheongju, Chungcheong-do

- Passed the state civil service examination in 1718

- Served as Corrector and magistrate of Nangcheon County

- Wrote Useo in 1737

- Discussed King Yeongjo’s policy of impartiality in 1741

- Major work: Useo (1737)

“The reason the nation is weak and the people are poor lies solely in the fact that the occupations of the four classes—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—have not been properly divided and specialized.”

— From Useo —

Yu Suwon emphasized individual responsibility, arguing that when each person has an occupation, it enables them to support and care for themselves and their families, whereas living idly without working harms not only oneself but also others, creating a society in which people cannot live by helping one another. At the same time, he stressed that this would also bring socially beneficial results.

Opposing the then-dominant Neo-Confucian philosophy, which stressed restraining material desires and practicing frugality, Yu Suwon believed that the pursuit of individual interest was fundamental. He argued that to say it is good to live in squalor with nothing and suppress material desires is merely a disguise to avoid revealing one’s sense of inferiority. He countered that only when people enjoy material abundance can they truly understand propriety and develop the desire to practice virtue.

Rather than Confucian paternalism, Yu Suwon valued economic logic and strict rule of law. He recognized that no matter how much effort the state exerts, it cannot relieve all the people suffering from hunger in times of famine, and that the best remedy for famine would be the development of commerce, which would invigorate grain distribution, equalize grain prices, and greatly benefit the people.

He also emphasized the role of the private sector, arguing that not only public works such as fortress construction, roads, and bridges, but even private education and poor relief, could be carried out voluntarily by private citizens according to their own needs and moral principles, without relying on the power of the state.

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Original title: [주머니 속의 자유주의자 ] 농암 유수원

Author: Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

Date: 2005-12-20

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=column&pn=21&idx=10667