This article aims to examine the characteristics and future tasks of Seung-Kuk Kim's theoretical attempts by focusing on his recent writings, especially Hybrid Society and Its Friends and The Oneness Logic, which seek to construct an East Asian social theory. The method I have adopted to achieve this goal is to examine Seung-Kuk Kim's oneness logic from the perspective of Seok-Heon Ham's ssial people thought. I will first briefly introduce the process of the formation of Seung-Kuk Kim's oneness logic, and then I will examine the characteristics of the oneness logic from the perspective of ssial people thought, focusing on its theories of the unique self/mind individualism, the harmonious convergence and love with sorrow, and the safe epicurianism for freedom and liberation. I will also briefly mention its future tasks. Oneness logic's theory of the unique self/mind individualism is an epistemology that anarchist Seung-Kuk Kim radicalized by actively utilizing East Asian thought in a postmodern society, and it is of great significance as a result of seeking to develop anarchism in a way that suits today's changing times and overcomes the limitations of Western culture. However, it is questionable whether actively accepting the liberalism of the Austrian school of economics can contribute to an economic theory that is in line with the basic values of anarchism. In addition, in order for the theory of the unique self/mind individualism to develop into a social theory without falling into solipsism, an East Asian theoretical strategy that can explain the sharing of the subjective perception or experiences of autonomous individuals in a different way from Western rationalism is required. Fortunately, oneness logic greatly increased the possibility of being developed into a social theory by emphasizing the perspectives of members of the everyday lifeworld. As an example, the theory of the harmonious convergence and love with sorrow has the character of a social theory that shows individuals living in the everyday lifeworld of postmodern hybrid society a way to find their own wisdom in life. The perspective of ssal people thought not only shows the characteristics of oneness logic well, but also provides meaningful insights into what needs to be further considered as oneness logic develops into an East Asian social theory. For example, it shows that even if the oneness logic actively accepts the perspectives of the East Asian thought of unique self/mind and inactive nature, it needs to more actively engage in theoretical discussions on the social and practical dimensions that have previously been heavily addressed from an anarchist perspective. And in this context, it shows that the perspective of solidarity theory also need to be more actively accepted. It also shows that oneness logic can be developed into a more complete East Asian social theory, if it develops its discussions in a way that further strengthens the historical perspective, This study is significant in that it clearly shows the formation process of Seung-Kuk Kim's oneness logic and its relative characteristics to Seok-Heon Ham's ssial people thought, suggesting the potential for oneness logic to develop into an East Asian social theory and the tasks to be supplemented.

Kim Seung-Kuk is a world-class sociologist who passionately advocated liberalism and individualism and pioneered a new horizon in social theory through his original ‘Hana Logic’. At the same time, he is also the representative anarchist of the Korean social studies community recognized by others today and the master planner of a huge civilization transformation. Kim Seung-Kuk is opening a new chapter of sociology called ‘mind sociology’ based on his unique individualism of unique self/mind. In addition, based on it, he passionately searches for the dream of freedom and liberation, and at the same time unfolds the grand plan for a post-modern civilization transformation. He freely crosses the East and the West, the past and present, reality and possibilities for this dialogue and grand project. The huge mountain range of theories and ideas he has achieved is high and deep. This article is a small work of illumination on Kim Seung-Kuk’s view of the world. This article is composed as follows. First, Kim Seung-Kuk’s original invention, ‘Anarchist Liberalism’, is introduced and explained with a focus on liberalism. Next, we will look at ‘individualism of unique self/mind’ which can be called his special ‘individualism’ from the perspective of the sympathy. Then, in the process of examining Kim Seung-Kuk’s discussion, I submit some theoretical ideas that came to mind in the form of identifying issues and expressing (critical) opinions. Finally, I conclude the article by briefly examining Kim Seung-Kuk’s ‘civilization transformation theory’ and ‘unified logic’ and summarizing its characteristics and significance.

Modern society is facing a complex crisis. Contrary to expectations, humanity is facing a more serious crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic, which manifests itself in various forms, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the US-China hegemonic war, protectionism, and the climate crisis. In these crisis situations, modern society is seeking new wisdom, and it is paying attention to the fact that the teachings of the Buddha of the early Buddhist period can still be effective today. The early Buddhist period was a period of intensified social, economic, cultural, and political fluctuations caused by the spread of iron civilization. The Buddha provided wisdom to rescue sentient beings suffering from these changes, and his teachings greatly helped to overcome social turmoil at the time. Modern society is becoming more complex due to the development of science and technology and the spread of information and communication technology, and sociocultural, economic, and political uncertainties are increasing. In particular, three megatrends are intensifying the crisis in modern society: post-truth, post-human, and post-ecological. Post-truth refers to the phenomenon in which the boundary between truth and fake is blurred due to information excess or distortion, which destroys social trust and intensifies conflict. With the development of digital technology, post-humam leads to the loss of humanity while expanding human physical and mental limitations. Post-ecological awakens the seriousness of environmental destruction and climate change, and criticizes the blind faith in economic growth and the infinite possibility of scientific and technological development. By comparing and analyzing social changes in the early Buddhist era with the megatrend of modern society, this paper aims to present a Buddhist approach to overcome the complex crisis faced by modern society. Dependent Co-arising emphasizes that all beings are interconnected, providing important insights in understanding and solving the complex crises of modern society. The idea of equality rejects social class or discrimination and asserts the equal value of all beings. The theory of Buddha-nature emphasizes that all beings have Buddha-nature and suggests a way to achieve harmony between humans, nature, and society. In conclusion, the teachings of Buddhism can provide in-depth wisdom in overcoming the complex crises of modern society. The sustainability of modern society can be explored through Buddhist principles such as access to truth and fair information, restoration of human relations through mutual respect and solidarity, and the pursuit of a sustainable life through harmony with nature. This paper suggests that Buddhism's holistic-relational approach can contribute to a sustainable and balanced direction through overall changes rather than partial solutions to modern society.

The Saemangeum Reclamation Project is the largest reclamation project in Korean history, encompassing various conflict issues. From its inception, it has sparked social movements centered on ecological values, and this continues to be a contentious issue. This study focuses on the potential for establishing cooperative governance to resolve conflicts in this context and highlights the role of religion. It specifically examines the role and resources of religion in ecological governance, focusing on the role of Buddhism in the Saemangeum opposition movement. The Buddhist community utilized religious rituals to advance the movement in a highly contentious environment. This study analyzes how these religious rituals can contribute to the establishment of ecological governance. The theoretical discussion addresses various approaches to overcoming climate change and ecological crises, emphasizing the importance of cooperative governance. Cooperative governance involves various actors such as central and local governments, civil society, and corporations working together to solve problems. Religion can play a crucial coordinating role in this process. By analyzing the different phases of social coordination in the Saemangeum Project, the study underscores the significance of network governance, particularly during the second phase of value conflicts. In the Saemangeum opposition movement, the Buddhist community emphasized ecological values through rituals such as the Three-Step One-Bow protest and the Maehyangje. The Maehyangje, in particular, held potential for strengthening community bonds and addressing the community's pain and grievances. It is a significant ritual for enhancing community cohesion, and its underutilization during the Saemangeum Project is regrettable. Religion, with its capacity for social coordination, cooperation, and trust-building, can effectively mediate various interests and foster sustainable development through close communication with the community. In establishing and operating cooperative governance, it is essential to explore and support the specific roles and activities of religion. This study reaffirms the importance of religion in building governance for an ecological civilization and provides key insights for future research and policy development.

This study explores why the modern pathways of intimacy that lead to love, marriage, and family have collapsed in 21st century Korean society. In Korean society, the family is in a contradictory situation where it defines our lives as the home of intimacy production, but has entered a path of disintegration. The author traces the origins of this contradictory situation back to the beginning of modern free love and the emergence of the patriarchal nuclear family, and explores the Korean specificity contained within it. It traces the historical process that produced the crisis of intimacy production that is currently in crisis in Korean society. It first summarizes sociology's recent discussions on “the social” and then finds a basis for critiquing the current ideology of the normal family, which is over-normalized from the perspective of the social. After revealing that the consolidation of the patriarchal family in the Chosun Dynasty is relatively recent, it examines how the phenomenon of aspiration to become a yangban (yangbanization), which arose in late Chosun society, permeates the patriarchal nuclear family as the unit of status competition in contemporary Korean society. This process consists of 1) examining the origins and nature of the bloodline-based ruling elite yangban and how it came to be established as a patriarchal, paternalistic large family, and 2) examining the modern starting point of the so-called yangbanization and how it came to be established as a patriarchal nuclear family together with free love and marriage. By examining the early history of love, marriage, and the modern family, this study argues that the current crisis of intimacy production in marriage and the family should not lead us to set aside the intimate and emotional relationships uniquely possible in the family. In its conclusion, the study argues that if modern intimacy is meant to be about mutual understanding and respect for individuality and personality, then it must protect the family, which holds the sphere of intimacy at its core. To that end, we argue that the urgent need is to protect the members of our society now, not the members of a future society yet to be born. So our policies must be sensitive and considerate to ensure that those members of our society who are in deeper social distress do not give up on marriage and family. The point is that our society is not sustainable if they do not find hope for their lives in our society. Encouraging the birth of new members can be possible after they find the hope.