Title A Study on the Definition and Reception of the Terminus Technicus Architektonike through Architecture and Geonchuk in the Architectural Theory
Authors Kim, Young-Cheol
DOI https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK_PD.2018.34.9.87
Page pp.87-96
ISSN 1226-9093
Keywords Architektonike ; Arche ; Tectonic ; Tektonike ; Geonchuk ; Architecture ; Terminus Technicus ; Architectural Theory ; History ; Translation
Abstract The purpose of this study is to get a more fundamental definition of the term Architecture and Geonchuk through analyzing the origin and reception of the terminus technicus Architektonike. In Latin world the greek term Architektonike was adopted and replaced the term Constructio by Vitruvius and has played a significant role in the history of architecture. In the late 19th Century however, the word Architecture was translated into Geonchuk(建築) and has been dominantly used in countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. But the difference of the denotation between them has not yet been fully evaluated. The term Geonchuk signifies much the same as the Tektonik and remains as such in the architectural discourse. In this context, this study goes back to refer to the philosophy of Metaphysics by Aristotle. In his book the term Architektonike was defined for the first time as terminus technicus, and the philosophies in later Ages of Leibniz or of Kant adopted it to signify the world view in accordance with the time. However, the original thought of the Architektonike disappeared in architectural practice and has been used in most cases as a substitute for Oikodomike which denotes house-building. The usage of this word in later time shows that it lost its foundation to be interpreted not only in terms of principium cognoscendi, but also in terms of principium reale. From this the literal usage of the term architecture and Geonchuk has seldom to do with its original meaning and denotation of Architektonike and also they lost the status of terminus technicus for the discourse of arche which encompasses the meaning of both principle and universal order.