Seventeen-Article Constitution

It is said to have been enacted by Prince Shotoku, the first written law in Japan. Its full text first appeared in the "Nihon Shoki" in the article on Boshin, April 12th year of the reign of Empress Suiko (604). It says, "The Crown Prince personally created the 17-article constitution." The Crown Prince here refers to Prince Shotoku. The constitution referred to here is different from that of modern nations, and is more like a moral code to be observed. The 17-article constitution, written in classical Chinese, incorporates the ideas of Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, and Buddhism, and indirectly and directly adopts Chinese classics, explaining the hierarchical order of the ruler, subjects, and people from various perspectives. In particular, emphasis is placed on the role of subjects, and there is a strong sense that it was intended to teach the new ways of thinking of the powerful clans in the central government.

However, there are still many problems with this constitution. There are differing theories about the year of its establishment, such as July of the 13th year of the reign of Empress Suiko (605) ("Jōgū Shōtoku Hōō Tei-setsu") or December of the 10th year of the reign of Empress Suiko (602) ("Isshin Kaimon"). On the other hand, since the 12th year of the reign of Empress Suiko was the year of the Koshi (Kassin), there is also the view that it was enacted in response to the theory of the Koshi Reformation, which was based on the idea of ​​divination. There have also been attempts to find a Yin-Yang idea in the number 17.

There is no definitive consensus as to whether it was actually written by Prince Shotoku in the early 7th century. Recent research on wooden tablets suggests that the word "Kokushi" in the 12th article may have been used after the Taiho Code (701), suggesting a later rewrite. However, this does not mean that the entire text is a later forgery. In light of the content, it is unreasonable to assume that the entire text was written after the Taiho Code or just before that, so it is appropriate to assume that the original form was created during the reign of Empress Suiko (592-628). It is also said to be a fitting document from the reign of Empress Suiko. However, how to distinguish the entire text quoted in the Nihon Shoki and passed down to the present day from its original form (the document from the reign of Empress Suiko) remains an issue to be addressed in the future. Regardless of whether it was actually composed by Prince Shotoku or not, the Yamato kingship, which sent its first envoy to Sui in the 8th year of the reign of Empress Suiko (600), was forced to establish a Chinese-style moral code following Chinese precedents (the New Constitution of 24 articles and the New Constitution of 12 articles of the Western Wei dynasty, the Six-Article Imperial Decree of the Northern Zhou dynasty, the Five-Article Imperial Decree of the Northern Qi dynasty, etc.), and it is believed that they aimed to show off their Chinese-style code of morality to the central nobles within the country, as well as to the Sui dynasty and the three Korean kingdoms (Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje). This is probably the original form of the Seventeen-Article Constitution. The number 17 must be examined from a world historical perspective, including the Western Regions and India. However, it is highly doubtful how effective this constitution was domestically at the time. Rather, we should evaluate its effectiveness externally. Nevertheless, it can be acknowledged that the Code was a precursor to the formation of the Imperial State under the Ritsuryo Code, which began in the second half of the 7th century. It also had a major impact on later generations. It was one of the pillars of government for the Fujiwara clan, and also influenced the Goseibai Shikimoku, Kenmu Shikimoku, and Kuge Shohatto codes of samurai society.

[Takao Shinkawa]

"The Complete Works of Prince Shotoku, Volume 1, The Seventeen-Article Constitution" (1942, Ryuginsha)" ▽ "The Chronicles of Japan, Volume 2" (The Series of Japanese Classical Literature 68, 1965, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Collection of Prince Shotoku" (The Series of Japanese Thought 2, 1975, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Prince Shotoku by Sakamoto Taro (1979, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "The Establishment of the Faith in Prince Shotoku by Tanaka Tsuguhito (1983, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

聖徳太子制定と伝える日本最初の成文法。『日本書紀』推古(すいこ)天皇12年（604）4月戊辰(つちのえたつ)条に、初めてその全文が登場する。それによると、「皇太子、親(みずか)ら肇(はじ)めて憲法十七条を作りたまふ」とある。皇太子とは、聖徳太子をさす。ここにいう憲法は、近代国家のそれと違い、遵守すべき道徳的規範に近い。すべてで17条からなる漢文体形式の憲法には、儒家・法家・道家、それに仏教の思想が盛り込まれており、中国古典を間接・直接に採用しながら、君・臣・民の上下秩序がさまざまな観点から説きほぐされている。とりわけ、臣のあり方に力点が注がれて、中央豪族の新たな心得を諭(さと)した観が強い。

　しかし、この憲法には、なお問題も多い。制定年では、推古天皇13年（605）7月（『上宮(じょうぐう)聖徳法王帝説』）とか、推古天皇10年（602）12月（『一心戒文』）とする異説がみられる。一方、推古天皇12年は甲子(かっし)年なので、讖緯(しんい)思想に基づく甲子革令の説を受けて制定されたとする見解もある。17の数に陰陽思想をみいだす試みも行われている。

　はたして、7世紀初頭における聖徳太子の真撰(しんせん)かどうかも、確固とした定説があるわけではない。12条目の「国司」は、最近の木簡研究からみて、やはり大宝令(たいほうりょう)（701）以後に使用され始めたことばである可能性があって、後の書き換えをうかがわせる。しかし、これをもって、全文を後の偽作と断定することもできない。内容からみて、すべてを大宝令以後、もしくはその直前の作為とするには無理があり、その原形は推古朝（592～628）に成立したとみるのがやはり妥当であろう。推古朝の遺文にふさわしいともいわれている。しかし、『日本書紀』に引用されて今日に伝わる全文と、その原形（推古朝の遺文）とをどのように区別するかは、これからの課題になろう。聖徳太子の真撰かどうかは別にしても、推古天皇8年（600）に初めて遣隋使(けんずいし)を送った倭(やまと)王権が、中国の先例（西魏(せいぎ)の二十四条新制・十二条新制、北周の六条詔書、北斉の五条詔書など）に倣って、中国風の道徳的規範を制定することに迫られ、国内の中央豪族をはじめとして、隋や朝鮮三国（高句麗(こうくり)・新羅(しらぎ)・百済(くだら)）にまでそれを誇負(こふ)することをねらったものと思われる。それが、おそらく十七条憲法の原形をなそう。17の数については、西域(せいいき)やインドを含めた世界史的観点からの検討が、これからなされなければなるまい。ただし、当時、この憲法が国内でどれほどの効果を発揮したかは、すこぶる疑わしい。むしろ、対外的な効力を評価すべきかもしれない。にもかかわらず、7世紀後半からの天皇制律令国家形成にあたって、その先取り的な意味をもっていたことは結果的に認められてよい。後代に及ぼした影響も大きい。摂関家の政治の一つのよりどころになったり、武家社会の御成敗式目(ごせいばいしきもく)、建武(けんむ)式目、公家諸法度(くげしょはっと)などにも、影響がみられる。

［新川登亀男］

『『聖徳太子全集　第1巻　十七条憲法』（1942・龍吟社）』▽『『日本書紀　下』（『日本古典文学大系68』1965・岩波書店）』▽『『聖徳太子集』（『日本思想大系2』1975・岩波書店）』▽『坂本太郎著『聖徳太子』（1979・吉川弘文館）』▽『田中嗣人著『聖徳太子信仰の成立』（1983・吉川弘文館）』

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