Myeongsilsangbu — when name and reality align
Before undertaking any great endeavor, Korea's ancestors considered it common sense to weigh the tide of fortune and the will of heaven. After that came "justification" — the moral grounds for action. Confucius consistently stressed "rectification of names": a cause must first be righteous before action can be taken with confidence. As the old saying goes, power without justification is hollow, and justification without substance is empty. Only when the two align does one gain the powerful momentum known as "myeongsilsangbu" — when name and reality fully correspond. Yet most endeavors ultimately end as little more than an empty name.
The Warring States-era thinker Shizi, explaining the two characters "myeong" (name) and "bun" (distinction), wrote: "When one can govern all under heaven, 'bun' is achieved; when one can distinguish right from wrong, 'myeong' is established." Shakespeare, writing from the West, declared: "Justification gives the strength to begin, but substance produces results." The essence sustaining that substance is values. Ultimately, the affairs of the world are a function of justification and values. "Where there is gain, the people gather; where there is honor, the seonbi risk their lives." So said Han Feizi.
The author is a columnist and adviser to law firm Class Hangyeol.
hongi@heraldcorp.com
