Syngman Rhee (Yi Sûng-man, 1875-1965) is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in modern Korean history. He emerged as the dominant leader in Korea's nationalist struggle against Japan and served as the first president of the Republic of Korea from 1948 through 1960. Rhee's political career as founder and president, however, was not without controversy. While some hailed him as "the George Washington of Korea," others regarded Rhee as "a little Chiang Kai-shek." This first English translation of Rhee's magnum opus, The Spirit of Independence (Tongnip chôngsin), provides readers with an essential key to understanding the breadth and depth of Rhee's thought at a critical juncture in his life and his country's history.

Syngman Rhee (Yi Sûng-man, 1875-1965) is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in modern Korean history. He emerged as the dominant leader in Korea's nationalist struggle against Japan and served as the first president of the Republic of Korea from 1948 through 1960. Rhee's political career as founder and president, however, was not without controversy. While some hailed him as "the George Washington of Korea," others regarded Rhee as "a little Chiang Kai-shek." This first English translation of Rhee's magnum opus, The Spirit of Independence (Tongnip chôngsin), provides readers with an essential key to understanding the breadth and depth of Rhee's thought at a critical juncture in his life and his country's history.

The Declaration of Independence is a document with a rich history in American public discourse. Countless books, speeches, and films have relied on its rhetoric to argue their points. However, it is not clear what method we should use to apply Declaration outside of its original historical context. This thesis develops a rhetorical lens for validly applying a text to contexts other than its own. It argues that texts contain a spirit. The spirit of a text is its general personality, composed of moral, practical, and relational values hidden in the text. By discovering the spirit of the text, rhetoricians can apply classic texts to contemporary controversies. Thus, this thesis both develops the idea of textual spirits and explores the Declaration of Independence's textual spirit. In doing so, it provides a means for bringing classic texts back into public discourse.