Confucianism, tradition and feminism

women’s roles in South Korea

Abstract

This article seeks to explore and reflect on the influence of the political-philosophical tradition of Confucianism on relations between men and women and on the construction of values ​​of gender equality in South Korea. In addition, it seeks to trace the compatibility of this philosophy with feminist demands for equality. First, it discusses the origins of Confucianism in the early days of the Korean State, focusing on the principles it establishes regarding the position of women - their freedom and identity - in the Korean State, which adopts this philosophy as a founding guide for its structures and relations. Secondly, it brings up discussions of modernity and contemporaneity regarding the possibility of compatibility between the political-philosophical precepts of Confucianism and the current mobilization of the feminist movement against the patriarchal structure formed throughout Korean history.

Keywords: Feminism. Confucianism. Tradition. South Korea. Gender equality.