The orphaned subject and moral debilitation: accounting for postcolonial pessimism
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Abstract
This dissertation investigates the concept of “moral debilitation” as it pertains to the “orphaned subject” in Korean society, a notion that denotes the diminished moral agency consequential to colonial and neocolonial legacies. The term “orphaned subject” describes certain characteristics prevalent among a group of contemporary Koreans characterized by moral debilitation due to the enduring sense of dislocation and psychological distress. The author traces these characteristics through literary representations, notably the motif of the “orphan consciousness” and the recurring depiction of the absent Father figure in modern Korean literature. This dissertation maintains that acknowledging and addressing the compromised moral agency of the colonized is essential for postcolonial theological analysis. This approach reveals how colonial harms extends beyond the material, political, economic, and psychological realms to affect the moral constitution of the colonized subject. The author posits this pessimistic account of moral debilitation not as an indictment of the colonized but as a means to a deeper, more integrated comprehension of the postcolonial condition.
Description
2024
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International