What is the Fundamental Question of Philosophy Newly Raised by the Juche Idea?

Answer: The fundamental question of philosophy raised by the Juche idea is the one on the position and role occupied and played by man in the world, the one on the relationship between the world and man.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il said:

Since the question of the world’s origin had been made clear by the materialistic viewpoint, the Juche idea raised a new problem concerning the position and role of man in the world as the basic question of philosophy and gave an answer to the question of who is the master of the world.

In general, the fundamental question of philosophy is the most basic and starting question which should be solved primarily.

The fundamental principle of philosophy and the whole system and content of philosophy based on it differ according to what kind of question is raised as a fundamental question and how it is solved.

The fundamental question of philosophy newly raised by the Juche idea has two aspects. One is the question of the position occupied by man in the world and the other is the question of the role played by man in the transformation and development of the world.

This becomes the fundamental question of philosophy raised with man at the center because it is the question whether man dominates the world or man is dominated by the world and the question of what kind of role man plays in transforming and developing the world.

First, the fundamental question of philosophy newly raised by the Juche idea conforms with the essence and mission of philosophy.

Philosophy regards it as its mission to make contribution to shaping out man’s destiny by giving the outlook on the world.

Since the fundamental question raised by the Juche idea is not a simple question on man but the question on relationship between the world and man, it enables to give the outlook on the world that clarifies directly the road ahead of shaping man’s destiny.

If we solve the question on relationship between the world and man, the question on the position and role of man in the world, we can clarify the man-centered view on the world that the world is dominated and transformed by man and the viewpoint and stand that should be maintained in dominating and transforming the world, accordingly giving the correct way out in shaping out his destiny.

Next, the fundamental question newly raised by the Juche idea embodies correctly the lawful demand in developing the human outlook on the world.

In the far olden times people got free from mysterious fancy one step by another through the practical struggle to conquer the world and shape their destiny. What is of primacy here was to cognize properly the world surrounding them. It was because they could not cognize nor shape their destiny without the understanding on the world.

Therefore, from the early period of the development of the philosophical outlook on the world the people considered as the fundamental question of philosophy the question of what is the origin of the world and the question of which is prior, matter or consciousness, in order to have a correct cognition of the world. The origin of the world is scientifically clarified by the Marxist materialistic and dialectic outlook on the world which illuminated that the world consists of matter and it changes and develops continuously. However, this was not the final solution in the development of the outlook on the world. After the scientific elucidation that the world consists of matter and it changes and develops continuously it was raised as an important question to clarify correctly how man dominates the world in relationship with the world. This question can be made clear only when we raise as the fundamental question of philosophy the relationship between the world and man and the position and role of man in the world and solve them properly.

The Juche idea embodied the lawful requirement of the development of the world outlook and raised the position and role of man in the world as the fundamental question of philosophy. By doing so the Juche idea renovated newly the fundamental question of philosophy.

Next, the fundamental question of philosophy raised newly by the Juche idea reflects correctly the requirement of our time, the time of Juche.

Our time, the time of Juche in which the people’s struggle for independence has been conducted in a more wide and diversified manner than before needed the outlook on the world that enables the masses to shape their destiny independently and creatively with high awareness of being masters of their destiny. The question that should be raised and solved in establishing the outlook on the world is the question on the position and role of man in the world.

In reflection of this demand the Juche idea raised newly the position and role of man in the world as the fundamental question of philosophy and solve it, thus providing a new starting point for the philosophical development.