Professor Park Gu-yong, Viewing Justice and Solidarity through President Lee Jae-myung's Political Philosophy

Is the essence of politics a philosophical act?

Politics is not merely a procedural act of power that decides policies and enforces laws, but a fundamental 'philosophical practice' that organizes the life of the community and provides direction. All politics includes assumptions about human relationships, social perspectives, and the ultimate good in some form. President Lee Jae-myung's recent political actions are very philosophical in this respect. In particular, his town hall meetings, speeches to new public officials, and speeches at the World Political Science Association reflect philosophical reflections on what kind of community Korean society should strive for, going beyond simple 'political events.' Professor Park Gu-yeong interprets President Lee Jae-myung's politics as a 'transition from a mobilization system to a companionship system.' This is read as a willingness to move toward a politics of solidarity where different beings walk together, rather than a governance that objectifies citizens. If politics is a philosophy that questions the direction of communal life, then President Lee Jae-myung's politics concretely poses that question in reality.

Philosophical Misuse of the Concept of Moral Hazard

The concept of "moral hazard" originally emerged in the financial sector. It refers to a situation where one party to a contract hides information and shifts risks onto others to gain benefits. However, this concept has been misused in Korean society, particularly in stigmatizing the "poor" or "long-term debtors." President Lee Jae-myung openly criticized this issue during a town hall meeting. He emphasized that "only those who have lived as credit delinquents for seven years truly understand" and pointed out that long-term delinquents did not intentionally refuse to repay their debts, but rather are social beings who have endured punishment. This calls for a philosophical perspective. Kant argued that the standards of good and evil cannot be found in the state of nature. Once humans entered into a social contract and formed communities based on law, those who secretly break promises and monopolize information are considered "evil." In other words, "moral hazard" is not merely about those who fail to keep promises, but rather about those who attempt to become exceptions secretly, that is, those who deceive the system for personal gain. Therefore, individuals who cannot repay their debts but have already endured social disadvantages are not exhibiting moral hazard. Instead, it is the financial institutions and privileged classes that, while speaking of morals, conceal information and shift losses who are the true agents of moral hazard.

Solidarity without justice vs justice without solidarity

Justice and solidarity have been treated as core values in modern political philosophy. However, these two concepts often clash or cause social tension when one becomes dominant. A society that emphasizes justice alone becomes a harsh one, obsessing over principles and rules, failing to consider the vulnerable. Conversely, a society that solely champions solidarity tends to foster a culture of evasion of responsibility, leading to the institutionalization of corruption and incompetence. Professor Park Gu-yong points out the risk of reducing justice and solidarity to fear societies and corrupt societies, respectively. He argues that justice should constrain solidarity, and solidarity should check justice for a healthy community to be established. President Lee Jae-myung's political philosophy does not view these two in a binary way but sets them as complementary values. This aligns philosophically with the tradition of republicanism, which emphasizes individual rights, responsibilities, and interdependence for the common good of the community.

Political Philosophy Revealed in Town Hall Meetings and Long-term Debtor Issues

The town hall meeting of President Lee Jae-myung in the Chungcheong region was not merely a policy briefing, but rather a platform resembling a philosophical declaration. He stated that 'long-term debtors are also social beings with dignity,' challenging the perspective that defines humans through simple economic logic. This statement criticizes a numb state model that emphasizes legal debt fulfillment without solidarity. His remark carries a very profound philosophical dimension. It highlights the duality of a society that does not label those who break promises as evil, but rather stigmatizes individuals who have already been punished within the system. In this context, justice should be reinterpreted not as a barren principle that disregards human conditions and dignity, but through the lens of communal consideration and integration.

Collective Intelligence in Art and K-Democracy

President Lee Jae-myung often uses the expression "collective intelligence." This implies not just gathering the opinions of many people, but a political aesthetic that encompasses different and heterogeneous beings joining together to create new interpretations and actions. Professor Park Gu-young connects this concept to the contemporary art "Occupy" movement. Originally, Occupy was known as a social movement that criticized the greed of financial capital by occupying Wall Street during the global financial crisis. However, this concept has been experimented with in the art world as a "collective aesthetic that fills empty spaces with shared sensations" even before that. Similar to the exhibitions at the Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art, the method of combining and interacting different social experiences in one space to create a new collective sensation provides significant inspiration for politics as well. Such artistic practices can serve as a cultural foundation for what President Lee refers to as "K-democracy." Beyond simple participation, it involves citizens sensing together, judging together, and envisioning the future together. This is precisely philosophical democracy.

What makes Lee Jae-myung's political philosophy special?

The politics of President Lee Jae-myung is special because it goes beyond merely presenting realistic alternatives and is based on philosophical reflections on the community and humanity. He asks not just "What should the state do?" but "For whom should the state exist?" His politics, which seeks to understand the tension between justice and solidarity and to resolve it through a balance of practice, reflects the evolution of Korean democracy. Philosophically, this transcends the simple dichotomy of progressivism and conservatism, representing a reconstruction of reflections on human existence and community ethics. His statements and policies stem not from charitable slogans for the weak but from a philosophical judgment aimed at the sustainability of the community. His perspective that even those who fail should be respected as members of the community represents a politics of solidarity rather than mere welfare. This solidarity is not an irresponsible neglect but also an intense philosophical search that does not lose the tension of justice.

Conclusion: Justice and solidarity must stand on philosophical balance.

When politics can become philosophy, that politics is not merely a mechanism for exercising power, but a creative act of imagining and realizing a community. President Lee Jae-myung's politics demonstrates that possibility. Justice and solidarity must constrain each other and achieve balance, and this balance is impossible without philosophical reflection. We are now at a point where we must gauge the direction of politics based on philosophical standards, beyond the language of political debate. The question posed by President Lee Jae-myung is precisely that: 'What kind of community will we live in?' Serious contemplation of that question is needed in our society right now.