The Book Seo hak Byeon(『西學辨』) was written by Shin Hu-Dam who
was Neo-confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. In this book, he was
criticizing thought of anima in the book Yong-Eun-You-Jak(『靈言蠡勺』) which
was explained in scholastic philosophy. We can find out conflict between
‘scholastic anima’ and ‘Neo-confucian hon(魂) and shim(心)’ in this book Seo
hak Byeon. In this study, this paper is to inquire into the difference between
‘scholastic anima’ and ‘Neo-confucian hon(魂) and shim(心)’, in relation to the
immaterial of soul, the subsistence of human soul, and the incorruptibility of
the soul. The ‘hon(魂)’ depend on corporeality as material force(ch’i, 氣).
Shim(心) has intellectual activity but it is also material force as the
non-subsistence. Therefore, shim(心) has not the incorruptibility of the soul and
have only to extinguish after death of body. Because there is the shim in
category of material force and Neo-confucianism has not theory of salvation for
personal soul. Although Neo-confucian shim is quiet similar to anima in present
this life it is a collision course with relation to ‘the immaterial of soul’, ‘the
subsistence of human soul’, and ‘the incorruptibility of the soul’ if we premise
eternal life after death of body. These concepts are not accepted for
Neo-confucian cosmology of material force.