Seung-Jin Choi, MD, PhD. Neurosurgeon & Independent Researcher
I am an independent researcher and former Professor of Neurosurgery at The Catholic University of Korea. My clinical career was dedicated to complex neurosurgical interventions, including more than 100 cerebral aneurysm clippings and many experience in brain tumor surgeries (neuro-oncology).
My clinical milestones include performing and reporting a world-recognized success in stereotactic functional neurosurgery (Posteroventral pallidotomy) for intractable chorea (2003) and performing endoscopic far-lateral approach for pyogenic spondylodiscitis (2004).
Currently, my researc…
Seung-Jin Choi, MD, PhD. Neurosurgeon & Independent Researcher
I am an independent researcher and former Professor of Neurosurgery at The Catholic University of Korea. My clinical career was dedicated to complex neurosurgical interventions, including more than 100 cerebral aneurysm clippings and many experience in brain tumor surgeries (neuro-oncology).
My clinical milestones include performing and reporting a world-recognized success in stereotactic functional neurosurgery (Posteroventral pallidotomy) for intractable chorea (2003) and performing endoscopic far-lateral approach for pyogenic spondylodiscitis (2004).
Currently, my research extends into Schopenhauerian studies, Buddhist phenomenology, Nietzschean existentialism, and Non-Egoic Politics. My work explores the dissolution of the ego and the nature of the will, seeking to bridge the gap between clinical reality and metaphysical insight to propose a holistic framework for transcendence and ethical action in the modern world society.
Trying to Find a New Way to See the World: A Dialogue Between East and West :
For a long time, I have been fascinated by a simple yet profound question: How do we truly understand the reality we live in? This curiosity has led me to explore a bridge between two seemingly different worlds—the classic philosophy of the West and the ancient wisdom of the Buddhist East.
In my writing, I bring thinkers like Plato, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche into a conversation with Buddhist insights such as the Diamond Sutra, Heart Sutra, Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana and the idea of "Dependent Origination" and "Four Noble Truths".
I believe that when we look at Nietzsche’s courage or Schopenhauer’s reflections through a Buddhist lens, we find a clearer path to understanding our own minds and the suffering we face. My goal is to move beyond difficult theories and find a "living philosophy" that we can actually experience in our daily lives.
This journey also extends to how we live together as a society. By looking at the selfless leadership of figures like Admiral Yi Sun-sin and Marcus Aurelius, I explore what I call "Non-Egoic Politics"—a way of leading and acting that isn't driven by the small "self" or greed, but by a deeper sense of truth and responsibility.
Through my essays and reflections, I hope to offer a space where we can rethink our old habits of mind and discover a more peaceful, connected way of being in the world society.
