Mareike Urbanek, M.A.

Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin

Promotionsprojekt

Constructing Truth and Claiming Validity: The Role of Righteous Opinions and Public Consensus in kongnon 公論 Discourse in Chosŏn Korea

The concept of kongnon (公論) in Chosŏn Korea (1392-1910) functioned not only as a normative framework for political decision-making but also as a discursive mechanism for the production and enforcement of truth. Through various instruments such as memorials, collective petitions, and deliberations held at the royal court or Confucian academies, the kongnon discourse evolved as a medium for deliberating and determining that which was regarded as true, right, and binding. This study systematically reconstructs the conceptual history and functions of kongnon, tracing its role across different political constellations. The study seeks to determine whether the discourse shifted over time from an emphasis on ‚righteous‘ opinions toward a broader notion of public or majority judgment – thus reflecting evolving ideas about participatory authority and legitimacy. The study employs a discursive institutionalist approach to examine how competing claims to truth were contested among the monarch, court officials, and Confucian scholars. Theories of power and deliberative processes offer further insights, suggesting that kongnon functioned both as a tool for consolidating elite authority and as a means of collective contestation. The present study draws on official court records, as well as correspondence and legal documents, complemented by computational text analysis. This study thus seeks to contribute to our understanding of deliberative practices and the production of truth in pre-modern East Asia.

Vita

Seit 12/2024: Kollegiatin im GRK 2945 „Wissen – Glauben – Behaupten. Wahrheitsproduktion und Wahrheitsdurchsetzung in der Vormoderne“ an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum

10/2020–10/2023: Lehrbeauftrage und Tutorin in der Sektion Sprache und Kultur Koreas an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Seit 09/2022: Stipendiatin der Korea Foundation 

04/2017–10/2021: Masterstudium der Ostasienwissenschaften, mit Schwerpunkt Koreanistik, und Volkswirtschaftslehre an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum 

2019/05–2019/08: Forschungspraktikum am RWI – Leibnitz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung im Kompetenzbereich „Umwelt und Ressourcen“