In the East Asian intellectual context emphasizing the unity between human
and the nature, Neo-Confucian scholars of Joseon displayed a profound interest
in accomplishing the moral state of pure good without evil. The discussion
on mibal 未發(the state where thoughts and emotions have not been aroused)
within the Horak debate asked whether humans, with all their thoughts and
desires, can free their mind-hearts from the influences of their innate temperaments
(gijil 氣質). This study examines how the mind-heart was interpreted in
the framework of the li-qi theory (igi ron 理氣論) as illustrated by the debates
between two Joseon Neo-Confucian scholars, Yi Gan and Han Won-jin. Yi Gan
and other Nak-ron scholars asserted that the mind-heart was “pure” in mibal
and could therefore be established as the legitimate moral agent connected to
original nature (bonseong 本性). On the other hand, Ho-ron scholars, including
Han Won-jin, argued that one must accept the presence of qi 氣in the
mibal state even though qi does not function in such a state, because it is only
through qi that li 理can be manifested in reality.