This paper deals with Toegye Yi Hwang(退溪李滉, 1501-1570)’s
Taiji(太極) and Essence-Function(體用, tiyong) theory. Especially,
Toegye’s criticism of Hwadam school as well as Yulgok’s criticism
of them will be discussed to clarify its characteristics more
distinctly. Therefore, in Chapter 2, we first look at the Hwadam
school and Yulgok’s argument as a preliminary work on the
characteristics of Toegye’s Essence-Function theory. At this time,
I will focus on the difference between understandings on the
concepts of 沖漠無眹and xiang(象). It is because the analysis of
these concepts help to understand the position of Yeonlo(蓮老) who
is another disciple of Hwadam, in Toegye’s Critique on the Position
That Does not Have Essence and Function. In Chapter 3, we briefly
analyze the structure of Toegyo’s Critique on the Position That
Does Not Have Essence and Function. I enumerate the three claims
of Yeonlo and examine Toegye’s criticism in order. In Chapter 4,
I discuss the criticism of Toegye about Yeonlo in the above
writings, and deduce the characteristics of Toegye’s Theory of
Essence-Function. In this paper, the concept of xiang(象) is
suggested as a key word to interpretate the proposition of
Neo-Confuciansm, “沖漠無眹, 萬象森然已具.” In Chapter 5, I will
present some characteristics of Toegye’s theory based on the
above discussion.