Young Woon Ko
THE ISSUE OF PARADOX AND CREATIVITY IN THE LANGUAGE OF YIJING
In this paper I will discuss the problem of paradox developed in Yijing (the Book of Changes, ca., 1159-248 BCE), one of the primary classics in the Chinese traditions. I will bring Bertrand Russell’s introduction of paradox with the problem of Aristotle’s logic and examine how the issue of paradox is applied to the correlative thinking of Yijing formed in such opposite factors as yin and yang. In particular, I will explain that the model of sagehood developed in the historical formation of Yijing is based on the paradoxical combination and harmony between mind and nature. Finally, I will explore this motif of paradoxical combination in terms of the correlative view of Yijing language and its contextual formation and uses.