[RESEARCH] A Structural Analysis of the Thought of Gani (簡易) Choi Rip (崔岦) from the Perspective of Creativity Theory
An Interdisciplinary Application of Boden’s Conceptual Space Transformation Model and Csikszentmihalyi’s Domain–Field–Individual Model
A Structural Analysis of the Thought of Gani (簡易) Choi Rip (崔岦) from the Perspective of Creativity Theory
An Interdisciplinary Application of Boden’s Conceptual Space Transformation Model and Csikszentmihalyi’s Domain–Field–Individual Model
Young B. Choi
Regent University
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the creative cognitive structure of Gani (簡易) Choi Rip (崔岦, 1539–1612), one of the most distinguished prose writers of the mid-Joseon Dynasty, through the lens of modern creativity theories—Margaret Boden’s Conceptual Space Transformation Model and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Domain–Field–Individual Systems Model. While Choi Rip adopted the archaist literary tradition modeled after Qin and Han prose, he creatively transformed it within the Korean context. Furthermore, through his vigorous and unconventional literary style influenced by the Song poetic tradition, he reshaped the conceptual space of the literary world of his time.
Viewed through Boden’s (2004) three types of creativity—combinational, exploratory, and transformational—Choi Rip’s intellectual activity transcends mere exploration and reaches the level of transformational creativity. From the perspective of Csikszentmihalyi’s (1996) systems model, Choi Rip can be understood as an individual who transformed the social constraints of his status as a secondary-born (seo-eol) scholar into a source of creative energy. Through validation by the literary field of Joseon, he introduced new norms into the broader domain of East Asian classical Chinese literature.
By reinterpreting the creativity of a premodern literary figure through contemporary theoretical frameworks, this study contributes to expanding the temporal and cultural universality of creativity research.
Keywords: Choi Rip, Creativity Theory, Boden’s Conceptual Space, Csikszentmihalyi’s Systems Model, Joseon Classical Chinese Literature, Archaism, Transformational Creativity
Original Article:
Citation:
Young B. Choi (June 2026). A Structural Analysis of the Thought of Gani (簡易) Choi Rip (崔岦) from the Perspective of Creativity Theory. K-GSP Forum, pp. 1–12.
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