The Education of Character in the Philosophy of Taekwondo: On the Qualitative Individual

The objective of this paper is to clarify the meaning of character education in the philosophy of Taekwondo. Taekwondo has never been considered a mere physical training in the case of sports, for it is also concerned with the education of character. In dealing with an analysis of the moral character education, however, we discover that it is not only Taekwondo masters but also philosophers such as Confucius and Mencius who also emphasize the importance of character formation in their teachings. In fact, some Taekwondo tenets are derived from Confucianism. But, there is a fundamental difference in regarding the education of character in a martial artist (武人) and in a man of letters (文人). This difference will be elucidated in two points. Firstly, we will focus on explaining the distinction between a beast of prey and an herbivorous animal and argue that whereas the education of character by a man of letters regards man in terms of an herbivorous animal, the education of character by a martial artist defines man in terms of a carnivorous animal. Then, we will seek to suggest a positive aspect of a beast of prey. Secondly, the character education by a martial artist defined as a beast of prey will be further clarified in respect to the concept of ‘qualitative individual’ distinguished from ‘quantitative individual.’ In contrast to the ‘quantitative individual,’ who is without a unique character, the ‘qualitative individual’ is not to be identified with standardized people. We will argue that the prototype of a qualitative individual that is established in their personal character is only discovered in the carnivorous behavior of martial artists.