A Deep-Rooted Tree Does Not Sway in the Wind

I do not know whether it is because I am still at an age when I like to stay active, but whenever the topic of “philosophy” comes up while talking with friends, everyone tends to change the subject, saying, “Why talk about something so boring?” In fact, the view of philosophy as nothing more than empty theorizing is widespread in our society. The lack of philosophy books in the top 30 bestseller list at the major online bookstore Yes24 clearly shows how little interest our society has in philosophy.

But philosophy provides the basic logic underlying all the activities of an individual, a group, and even a nation. It gives consistency to action, sustains long-term effort, and makes the development of that individual or group possible. Professor Chinseok Choi, one of the leading philosophers representing our society, has said that we too must now become “producers of truth” with a philosophy suited to our own society (“Philosopher Chinseok Choi’s ‘Independent Life,’” Yonhap News). In other words, Korea too must now develop its own philosophy instead of relying on imported ones.

A country without philosophy is bound to be shaken greatly, like a tree with shallow roots. Our society, too, has recently experienced major social turmoil. Although other social issues have received less attention because of COVID-19, the government and the political establishment have continued, even in the midst of this, to pursue policies that disregard free-market principles, which form the root of our society.

Recently, the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) strongly argued for the need to introduce a ceiling on repair costs. It also proposed requiring the disclosure of after-sales service prices for major parts by device model (“Will a Ceiling on Mobile Phone Repair Costs Be Introduced?”, Financial News). These policies are quite similar to the price ceiling on pre-sale housing prices and the housing cost disclosure system, which had no effect and produced only harmful consequences. Since the launch of the Moon Jae-in administration, countless real estate regulations have been introduced in an attempt to lower housing prices, but in the end all of them came to nothing.

Even so, the continued attempts at undemocratic market intervention prove that those pushing them either do not understand, or actively reject, the fundamental philosophy of our society. The fact that the current ruling camp has brought forward the concept of the public notion of land ownership, which gravely infringes on private property rights, and that an environment has been created in which they can confidently pursue such policies, also starkly reveals the absence of philosophy in our society.

Determining the philosophy that guides a country is a very difficult task. The United States and other Western societies have developed their philosophies over hundreds of years since the Bill of Rights, and Japan, too, encountered Rangaku and, over the course of centuries, adapted it in its own way to create a philosophy unique to Japan.

But there has never been a period in our history in which we invested in philosophy. Even during the Joseon Dynasty, which is often said to have developed philosophy, people merely argued over already outdated ideas rooted thoroughly in Sinocentrism rather than developing a philosophy of our own. Later, during the Japanese colonial period and the era of economic development, there was not enough social capital to invest in philosophy, and so we could not do so.

Now we must determine the philosophy that will set the direction for our society. There will be many debates. We will go through countless trials and errors. Like the 52-hour workweek, policies that a majority of the public wanted but that ultimately failed will continue to appear. But this is a process we absolutely need. It is a process we must go through if we are to become a strong nation that endures for 100 years, or 1,000 years.

What matters, however, is that we minimize the cost of learning for our society. There is no need to repeat failed socialist experiments. Even though the absolute superiority of the market has already been demonstrated, there is no need to expand government influence once again. We need only respect the principles of free markets and liberal democracy enshrined in the Constitution and gradually adapt them in ways that suit us.

In Yongbieocheonga, a work that celebrated the legitimacy of the founding of Joseon, there is a line that says, “A tree with deep roots does not shake in the wind.” Philosophy plays the role of deepening the roots of our society. It is time for us as well to make liberal democracy and free-market principles the roots of our philosophy, and to build a nation that does not waver in the wind.

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Original title: 뿌리 깊은 나무는 바람에 흔들리지 않는다

Author: Jeong-hwan Jo

Date: 2020-02-26

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=free_opinion&pn=15&idx=22421