Memorial to Imaginary Choson King - Essay Example

History and Political Science Memorial to Imaginary Choson King I seek to explore issues related to discrimination against secondary people such as slaves, butchers, secondary sons, Kisaeng and women in Chosen society. In this regard, I propose that all human beings should be treated equally and given equal opportunity. The largest population of Korea comprises of secondary people with the citizens being recognized as the owners of the country, since they influence the future. In this case, discrimination can result to rebel against the king, which may lead to undesired outcomes. Therefore, the secondary status groups act as a buffer between the ruling aristocracy and the numerous numbers of commoners; thus, they are significant for facilitating social stability. Prohibition against Remarriage of Women Marriage has been considered as an affair between two people, which should last beyond the death of the husband. In fact, the Confucians have an emphasis on exclusiveness of marital relationships; the legislators argue that there is need to prohibit remarriage of women, as a custom, during the Koryo. This is a form of discrimination, since there is no sound base for barring women from remarrying after the death of their husband. Moreover, there is the law that constraints the sons and grandsons of women, who have been married thrice from attaining a bureaucratic position, taking national examinations and receiving a post in administrative offices. This hinders them from effectively contributing to the economic development of the country. Discrimination can be considered sensitive, given that it is addressed in the State Code of 1485 without a direct outlaw of remarriage in women. In fact, sons and grandsons of remarried women are denied a chance to be eligible for civil military office. Therefore, the law hinders them from involvement in higher or lower civil service examinations. Consequently, it results to legal implications and facilitate the impossibility for remarriages in women. Nevertheless, women who have been remarried twice are not mentioned in this law, since the law is based on the basic law and ritual decorum related to human feelings. Therefore, this law is discriminating against poor women who live without supportive relatives, whereby they have trouble in maintaining their chastity in a situation of being windowed in their early years. In this case, they are bound to make a decision of marrying for the second time, and there is no harm on ritual decorum. Therefore, laws barring their sons and grandsons from receiving high office should be expunged. Discrimination against Secondary Sons Since the beginning of the dynasty, there was a distinction between the main wife and concubines, which led to severe implications on the social status of the concubine’s sons. Consequently, the sons have been regarded as superfluous member in relation to the main descendant line, since their mothers are in the lower status in the society, which is attributed to being socially despised. They have been barred from examinations and becoming officials due to their personal initiatives; there are structural constrains of lineal consideration because of social imbalances. Barring secondary sons and their descendants from taking civil service examination and attaining a bureaucratic position is not a traditional law in Choson society. In fact, the law was compiled along with the State Code [1485], and since then, the law has been passed for a century. In fact, this form of discrimination has never been experienced in other counties such as China or other territories surrounding Choson society. Nevertheless, the reason behind barring of secondary sons from taking bureaucratic position is inappropriate maternal line in their generations. Consequently, they end up being frustrated and dying in the countryside, whereby their talents end up being wasted to the society. Peasants and Slaves Social differentiation has been accepted by the Confucians, whereby there are four categories comprising of scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants. However, slaves have been placed at the lowest social level, and this makes it difficult for them to engage in upward mobility. In fact, they suffer from exploitation as underdogs by other members of the society through labor, whereby their labor helps to pay for lavishness of the privileged. Farmers are on the second ranking, and they are regarded as producers of crops and taxpayers in the kingdom; hence, they are considered impoverished peasants. They are attributed to a desperate social condition that have ultimately contributed to the military coup experienced in 1170 and the social unrest. There are strict codes that have been enacted for limiting the upward mobility of slaves, while the rationale for policies has been influenced by the Silla norms, which are presented in the second selection. There are problems caused by slaves associated with social mobility; their final passage is presented through hard work aimed at buying freedom. Substantial efforts have been made in order to overstep the social boundaries, and committing of crimes, which results to punishments. In addition, apart from being an essential source of labor, slaves are associated with corruption, which requires suppression. Inheritance of Slave Status The issue of slave inheritance was set by our ancestors through instructions to posterity, whereby the offspring of the lowest class has been considered to be of different stock. In fact, there is discrimination that prohibits people of lower status from becoming emancipated. There has been a notion that freedom can create a chance to acquire government position, whereby the slaves can be able to organize rebellions against the government. This has made those in power to ensure suppression of the slaves to lower the chances of a rebellion arising. However, the law stipulates that given that there is no evidence of lowborn status for eight generations, the registration of official households should be given official positions in the government. Nevertheless, someone is considered lowborn in a situation where their mother or father is low, and even in a situation where the person is free, they are not allowed to attain commoner status. At this status, their descendants are freed, and expected to return to a low status, while in a situation where the owner has no heirs, descendants of freed lowborn are associated with his clan as a way of barring the lowborn from achieving the permanent commoner status. Therefore, there is a form of discrimination subjected to the lowborn, whereby they are denied a chance to achieve commoner status. Social Mobility of Slaves The social mobility of slaves has been achieved through corruption; they have to bribe the rich and powerful in order to be manumitted from low status to a commoner status. The commoner position is achieved through an executive captain. For example, there is a case involving Pyongnyang, who worked hard as a farmer and achieved slave mobility by bribing the rich and powerful people. He also killed his master wonji to achieve a permanent status of a commoner. Therefore, discrimination is contributing to other vices, whereby the slaves are willing to engage into corruption and other crimes in order to attain a commoner status. This is not good for the prosperity of the country and should be avoided at all costs. Slavery Approximately thirty percent of the Korean population comprises of slaves, and they are essential to the economy and lifestyle of the ruling class in the Choson dynasty. The slaves accustomed to cultivation have to incur a fixed amount of rent expense. Moreover, they enter in sharecropping arrangements or personal tribute tax to their master, which equates to the tax. In the past, there was the adoption of the matrilineal restriction concerning inheritance of slave status. The slave owners have been manipulating the law in order to increase the number of slaves. This is ruining the economic conditions, and should be avoided at all cost, so that everyone can positively contribute to the social, political and economic development of the country. The other issue relates to adoption of hereditary slavery, which is directly correlated with the population of the country. In the tenth century, there was a significant increase in the population of the country, and in the 1039, abolishment of slave status was brought forth. Inheritance of slavery occurs through marriages between the offspring of mixed slave commoners and children of slave mothers, who are less privileged in the society. Currently, there is manipulation by the slave owners and this is a form of discrimination. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that the slave law in Choson society is an inappropriate principle, though numerous people forsake this issue due to their private interests. Moreover, people have a perception that the abolishment of slave law is very complex. Despite this, there is need to control the issue by governing the people to change the notion, thereby preventing people from being slaves. In fact, the harm caused by the slave trade has been transmitted to our neighbors, relatives and the vice will flow among numerous people. Therefore, urgent intervention is required to avoid discrimination of various persons based on their social and economic status. In this regard, I urge that slave law be abolished, since it is within the capacity of the leaders to change or get rid of any section of the law that do not fit the situation at hand. Through abolishment of discrimination and slavery, we will ensure a good future for our generations. In conclusion, this memorial seeks to initiate a revolution that will foresee the changes involving mitigation of discrimination among the secondary population. Read More