Sustaining Harmony through Professional Roles

Abstract

The Korean Airlines “nut rage incident” of December 2014 was for many Westerners another sensationalized glimpse into the social and cultural phenomenon that is one of the most rapidly modernizing nations and globally dominating technology developers in East Asia: South Korea. This incident, and many others like it, appear to be a Gordian knot for the country’s further cultural, social and economic development and Western acceptance, with threads tracing back 2500 years ago to ancient China. The purpose of this thesis is to “unravel” these threads which include Classical Confucianism; Korea’s adoption and adaptation of Confucianism, and breakneck industrialization; and the philosophy of professional ethics. By identifying each in relation to one another, a nuanced understanding of roles ethics will emerge as a pragmatic paradigm to facilitate the sustainment of social harmony in South Korea and societies writ large.