Human Nature and Animal Nature: The Horak Debate and Its Philosophical Signiicance Richard T. Kim ABSTRACT: Philosophical investigation of human nature has a long, distinguished, and multifaceted history. In the East some of the most heated philosophical disputes pertaining to issues concerning moral self-cultivation centered on disagreements about human nature. Within the Neo-Confucian tradition that developed out of Korea, issues concerning human nature took center stage in a dispute now known as the “Horak Debate” that began in the eighteenth century. In this paper I seek to introduce the Horak Debate to contemporary philosophers by (a) historically situating the debate within the tradition of Korean Neo- Confucianism, (b) providing an outline of the Horak Debate and identifying its central points of contention, and (c) demonstrating the debate’s philosophical signiicance by revealing how some of its key issues are rooted in disagreements that continue to concern contemporary philosophers. T HAT THE CENTRAL AIM of Neo-Confucian philosophers was to live a virtuous life rather than to gain knowledge about the virtuous life has become well-established among scholars of Neo-Confucianism. But acknowledging this point could mistakenly lead some to see Neo-Confucians as unconcerned with truth-tracking beliefs or good arguments. Although self-cultivation and the achieve- ment of sagehood were always at the forefront of their pursuits, obtaining a correct understanding of the world and our proper relationship to it was also a genuine concern for many Neo-Confucian philosophers. 1 Perhaps nowhere is this concern more apparent than in the series of debates that unfolded among Korean Neo- Confucians during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). The intensity and seriousness with which participants in these debates argued for their respective positions reveal the extent to which they were deeply concerned with the truth of their views. Even a cursory look at their writings should dispel the notion that East Asian thinkers are “not concerned with arguments.” For these reasons it seems plausible to think that the arguments and debates carried out by the Korean Neo-Confucians deserve more attention, especially from a philosophical perspective, than has been given to them in the English-speaking world. Fortunately, within the past twenty years or so, there has been a growing interest in the works of Korean Neo-Confucian philosophers, especially the writings of Yi 1 Of course, one reason why they were concerned with the truth of their views was that correct views were instrumentally related to obtaining sagehood. But this fact does not imply that they did not value truth for its own sake. International Philosophical Quarterly Vol. 55, No. 4, Issue 220 (December 2015) pp. 437–456 doi: 10.5840/ipq201592345