[One Sip of a Book] In an Age of Distortion and Lies... Are My Thoughts Truly My Own?

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others immediately resonate with readers and create a point of connection with the book. Here, we introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from books.

First published in 2009, writer Yoo Si-min's "Reading for Youth" has been reissued as a special expanded edition. The new edition includes a discussion on John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" and a newly written preface. The sentences throughout the book have also been revised. Classics possess an unchanging quality that speaks to the immutable nature of humanity, regardless of the passage of time. Yoo Si-min wondered what it would be like to reread the classics he encountered in his youth, and this book is the result of that act of rereading. From "Crime and Punishment," which he discovered by chance in his father's study as a child, to "The Communist Manifesto," which he secretly read under a dim desk lamp, to "The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum," which reminded him of the heartbreaking end of former President Roh Moo-hyun, to "What Is History?," which opened his eyes to a new perspective on history, and finally to "On Liberty," which, well into the 21st century, prompted him to reflect once again on the value of freedom. Yoo Si-min finds answers for himself and for the present era in the classics. He has expressed a special attachment to this book, saying it is the one in which he most personally expressed his own thoughts and feelings.

"No matter how noble the purpose, a person cannot escape the mental anguish that comes from using evil means." Dostoevsky says this. The logic of life is that one cannot avoid punishment for committing a crime. However, this issue can be viewed from another angle. To question whether it is justifiable to use evil means for a good purpose assumes that a good purpose can be achieved through evil means. But I do not accept this premise. Before even considering whether it is justifiable, I believe that a good purpose can never be achieved by evil means. - "Chapter 1: Can a Great Person Save the World?"

What sustains an intellectual? Teacher Lee Younghee says: truth, verity, endless reflection, and the conviction and integrity to align one’s understanding with one’s life. The courage to endure hardship for the sake of truth. Intellectuals live with these things. Rereading his writings, it feels as if he is asking me. - "Chapter 2: What Sustains an Intellectual?"

All power created by humanity since the dawn of time has suppressed and restricted freedom of thought. The difference was only in degree. I am happy now to read "The Communist Manifesto" without fear. Not because I can find the truth there, but because I have the freedom to read a book containing errors as I wish. - "Chapter 3: The Allure of Revolution That Shook Youth"

Reading "An Essay on the Principle of Population" again, I feel fear. We all live with various prejudices and fixed ideas. Since it is impossible to examine and test every common notion and way of thinking about everything in the world for logical and empirical validity, we inevitably accept some generally accepted ideas and perspectives. So how different am I from Malthus? Among the many common notions that support what I believe to be true, and my convictions, could there be mistaken prejudices or fixed ideas? - "Chapter 4: Is Inequality an Inevitable Law of Nature?"

But why do we like this poem so much? I, too, feel a gentle wave rising from the depths of my heart when I read it. Perhaps, when someone translated it into Japanese during the Japanese occupation, it resonated with the people of Joseon, whose lives were filled with anger and sorrow. Regardless of Pushkin's original intent, it is remarkable that a poem can deeply move people of another era and nation. The oppression by the tsar and by Japanese imperial rule were both "hard days" and a "sorrowful present." It seems our ancestors found great comfort and encouragement in Pushkin's poetry. - "Chapter 5: Even If Life Deceives You"

People often say that conservatives seek material gain and worldly success, but a true conservative seeks values, not profit. A true conservative anchors their identity within themselves, not on a frontline of conflict with others. Before blaming others, they reflect on themselves. Even if no one recognizes them, they do not fall into despair, and they shine on their own even in the deepest darkness. - "Chapter 6: Meeting a True Conservative"

Why did I read "The Square" back then? It was because of its reputation. It was a novel that any intellectual concerned with the reality of the nation and the future of the people had to read at least once. "The Square" had that kind of reputation. What did I see in this novel at the time? Looking back at the passages that left a strong impression, I finally realize: Ah, that was it. I only saw half of it. I saw only one aspect of the modern history experienced by the protagonist Lee Myungjun. I looked at the mountain peak drawn by the author from only one place and then turned away. Perhaps, just as with cultural assets, the beauty of a novel is visible only to the extent that the reader understands it. - "Chapter 7: The Desire of an Individual Who Belongs Nowhere"

Politics is a noble endeavor. It is the act of enduring the baseness of beasts and fighting against animalistic greed to achieve the nobility of a sage. - "Chapter 8: The Light and Shadow of Power Struggles"

Yet Shukhov, finishing two bowls of soup, did not appear base at all. It was a majestic and sacred sight. I believe this was a reflection of Solzhenitsyn himself. Such writing cannot be produced without firsthand experience. While reading this passage, I felt an overwhelming sense of hostility toward the Soviet political system and its authorities, who imprisoned Shukhov in a labor camp. I do not know if Solzhenitsyn intended to evoke such feelings in the reader, but anyone who values human dignity would feel the same. - "Chapter 9: Can Sorrow Become Strength?"

We breathe information whose truth we cannot know, and live by consuming distortion and lies. Therefore, we have no choice but to question. Are the thoughts I have truly my own? - "Chapter 13: Are My Thoughts Really My Own?"

If you follow Ranke, life becomes comfortable. There is no progress in history, and every era has equal value. There is no need to think about ushering in a new era. Since the era you live in has the same value as all others, you can simply accept reality as it is. When the Government-General of Korea promoted historical distortion to belittle and disparage our national history during the Japanese occupation, it was no coincidence that the historians of the "Jindan Society," who collaborated in this effort, championed "empirical historiography" and revered Ranke. After reading E. H. Carr, I parted ways with Ranke. A shadow fell over my life. - "Chapter 14: Can We Believe in Historical Progress?"

In 1859, Mill wrote a book that comforts and encourages people like us. To those who have endured and overcome anger, pain, and absurdity after electing a foolish president; to the citizens who stood against martial law troops in the National Assembly on the night of martial law; to the young people who created the miracle at Namtaeryeong; to the men and women of all ages who spent nights in the snow in front of the Constitutional Court?I want to convey these words with infinite gratitude. If philosopher John Stuart Mill were to see us today, he would say: "You have shown the source of all that is admirable in humanity. You may be proud of yourselves. You deserve it." - "Chapter 15: A Prophecy for Civilization in the 21st Century"

Reading for Youth | Written by Yoo Si-min | Woongjin Knowledge House | 356 pages | 18,900 KRW