The attitude of living in seclusion in East Asia culture has a different character from the Western one. Hermit's life in Western culture generally has a religious character to imitate Christ or Apostles, but the life in seclusion in East Asia is mostly due to social and economic reasons. Under this social and political background, a phenomenon where intellectuals-in-chief appear on a large scale who wants to live in seclusion turning their back on the world starting from 16th century in our history. The most typical people appeared in this phenomenon of 16th century are Nammyeong(南冥) Jo Sik(曺植) and Daegok(大谷) Sung Woon(成運) of all people.
In case of Nammyeong and Daegok, peoples of considerable amount around or disciples following them have academic traditions and a strong nature to live in seclusion, this seems like one of the natural phenomena appearing from the initial step of conflict between Nammyeong and Deagok's ideas and study propensity and the orthodox soˇngnihak(性理學) and the following result from the actual and political ups and downs. Generally feeling the critical moment of the era itself and deal with it through Confucian disciplines and studies, those persons comparatively freely teated with fields that were regarded as a heretic by the orthodox philosophy as well as prepared their location. In result, in a standpoint of the orthodox philosophy, there were confusions in prescribing their character. However, those two people's seclusion (from the world) is sending out its color in the philosophy history of Chosuˇn because they chose hermit's life as a firm view of life from the beginning, apart from the most cases that seclusions were chosen without any choice due to a political knock-out. At the same time, its importance in philosophy history is very big in that their life aim as a hermit presents one of hermits' life aims which appear as 'a symbol of an intelligence out of power' on a large scale in our 16th century.
From a historical point of view. there are two kinds of hermits. One is freedom-oriented hermits who wants to enjoy their life without any restrictions from anyone and the other one is an abstinent type of hermits selection the way of seclusion and disciplining themselves rigidly for the purpose of avoiding an extreme situation of political and social actuality. If we say Nammyeong is more approaching to abstinent type, Daegok would be close to the freedom-oriented type. After a while, this difference can be come out as a difference from their ordinary life attitude to scientific and ideal view of world or literary aesthetic sense. But the actual hermit type variously existing in the middle of these two extremes, compromising this freedom-oriented type and abstinent type. This is generally shown as a type pointing abstinence in material way and free seclusion life in spiritual way.
In conclusion, Nammyeong and Daegok are the typical persons who showed hermit's life in the 16th century which appeared in earnest as an influential art of intellectuals' living. Not compromising the prevailing state of the society and the trend of that times, lived according to their belief and way with maintaining a strong spirit and belief, so they let a model of strongly independent character which are rare come into our spiritual history.

• 張源哲(慶尙大 漢文學科) | Jang Won-cheol