Kang Youwei - Kyouyuui

The first thinker and politician of the late Qing Dynasty of China. His pen name was Changsu. He was known as Nankai Sensei. He was born in Nanhai County, Guangdong Province. He said that the defeat in the Sino-French War had a great impact on him, and shaped his learning and ideology. He studied Gongyangism and wrote works such as "Thoughts on the New Learning of the False Classics," "Thoughts on the Reformation of Confucius," and "The Spring and Autumn Annals of Dongzi," which opened up new possibilities for reinterpreting the Confucian scriptures and created a great stir among the scholar-officials. His sense of crisis was further heightened by the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War, and he gathered his comrades to petition for political reform, organized a society, and endeavored to enlighten the scholar-officials. After passing the Jinshi examination, he gained the favor of Emperor Guangxu and submitted petitions on reforming the political system, enriching the country and strengthening the military, promoting human resources, reforming education, and establishing the Confucian religion. Emperor Guangxu issued these petitions as imperial edicts and tried to promote the reforms. This is known as the "Boju Reforms." However, these reforms were opposed by Empress Dowager Cixi, who held overwhelming influence within the Qing dynasty, and conservative bureaucrats, and were thwarted by the Boju Coup d'état. Kang fled to Japan with his disciple Liang Qichao. Kang Youwei's theory of reforms was based on the Gongyang School and the Great Tong philosophy, and was unique in that it combined Western European evolutionary theory, political thought, and Buddhism, and his ideas were later largely compiled in the Datongshu. Later, Kang became an enthusiastic advocate of the establishment of Confucianism, which brought him into conflict with the revolutionary movement at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the New Cultural Movement of the new intellectuals in the early years of the Republic of China.

[Akio Ito]

"Politics and Thought in Modern China" by Nomura Koichi (1964, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "Studies in Late Qing Political Thought" by Onogawa Hidemi (1969, Misuzu Shobo)" ▽ "Studies on Kang Youwei and the Modern Great Unity Thought" by Takeuchi Hiroyuki (2008, Kiko Shoin)" ▽ "New Edition: The Original History of Modern Chinese Thought, Volume 2 - The Age of International Public Law" edited by Murata Yujiro (2010, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Modern China and Confucianism" by Takada Jun (Kinokuniya Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、清(しん)末民初の思想家、政治家。字(あざな)は長素。南海先生と号す。広東(カントン)省南海県出身。清仏戦争の敗北に大きな衝撃を受け、学問、思想を形成した、と自ら述べている。公羊(くよう)学を学んで『新学偽経考』『孔子改制考』『春秋董子(くんし)学』などを書き、儒教の経典を新たに解釈し直す可能性を切り開き、士大夫層の大きな反響をよんだ。日清戦争の敗北によっていっそう危機感を強め、同志を集めて政治改革の請願を行い、学会を組織し、士大夫層の啓蒙(けいもう)に努めた。進士の試験に合格したのち、光緒帝(こうしょてい)の知遇を得て、政体改革、富国強兵、人材登用、教育改革、孔子教設立などを上奏し、光緒帝はこれらの内容を上諭として発布し、改革を推進しようとした。これがいわゆる「戊戌(ぼじゅつ)の変法」である。しかしこの改革は、清朝内に圧倒的勢力をもつ西太后(せいたいこう)や保守派官僚の反対にあい、戊戌政変クーデターにより挫折(ざせつ)し、康は弟子の梁啓超(りょうけいちょう)とともに日本に亡命した。康有為の変法論は公羊学、大同思想を根幹とし、それに西ヨーロッパの進化論や政治思想、仏教などを結合した独自の思想をもち、その思想はその後『大同書』にほぼまとめられた。その後の康は孔子教設立を熱心に唱え、清末の革命運動や民国初年の新知識層の新文化運動などと対立した。

［伊東昭雄］

『野村浩一著『近代中国の政治と思想』（1964・筑摩書房）』▽『小野川秀美著『清末政治思想研究』（1969・みすず書房）』▽『竹内弘行著『康有為と近代大同思想の研究』（2008・汲古書院）』▽『村田雄二郎編『新編　原典中国近代思想史　第2巻――万国公法の時代』（2010・岩波書店）』▽『高田淳著『中国の近代と儒教』（紀伊國屋新書）』

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