Zhu Xi - I love you

Japanese: 朱熹 - しゅき

A thinker from the Southern Song Dynasty in China. He established the so-called Neo-Confucian school. His pen name was Genkai or Chukai. His pen names were Kaian and others. He was given the posthumous name Wen Gong, which is an honorific title for Zhu Xi.

[Akira Oshima February 17, 2016]

Early life

He was originally from Wuyuan, Huizhou (Jiangxi Province) (since Huizhou was originally the name of Xin'an, many people called themselves Xin'an). He was born in Youxi in the mountainous area of Fujian Province, and spent most of his life in the northern part of Fujian Province, such as Jian'ou, Jianyang, and Chong'an. He was born and raised in a remote area, far removed from the culture of the Central Plains.

When he was 14, his father Zhu Song (1097-1143), a mid-ranking government official, died of illness. After that, he studied under Hu Jixi, Liu Baishui, and Liu Pingshan (Zihui, 1101-1147) of Chong'an (known as the Three Masters of Jian'an), and followed his mother to study hard. In his early years, he received a Confucian education, but also became interested in Laozi and Zhuangzi Buddhism. At the age of 19, he passed the imperial examination, and at the age of 24, he was appointed as the chief clerk (accounting officer) of Tong'an County in Fujian Province, where he served for four years. At that time, he met Li Dong (Yanping, 1093-1163), who continued the academic tradition of Cheng Yi (Yichuan), and studied under him.He gradually became inclined towards Confucianism and was taught the essence of Neo-Confucianism.

[Akira Oshima February 17, 2016]

Scholarship and writing

He retired from his post at the age of 28, and for the next 20 years or so he never held a government position, but instead lived at home on a pension from the state, devoting himself to academics and writing. During this time, after losing Li Dong, he began to interact with Zhang Shu (Nanxuan) and Lü Zuqian (Donglai), who had a great influence on the formation of Zhu Xi's thought, but it is believed that the outline of his thought was established around the age of 40. At the age of 46, together with Lü Zuqian, he compiled the Jinshi Lu (Silou), a compilation of 622 opinions by Northern Song Dynasty Taoist scholars Zhou Dunyi (Lianxi), Cheng Hao (Mingdao), Cheng Yi, and Zhang Zai (Yangqu), divided into 14 volumes by subject and compiled into a single book. Zhu Xi's scholarship was a compilation of these four scholars, influenced by the new academic style of the Northern Song Dynasty, but as it is also known as the Cheng-Zhu School, it inherited and developed the theories of the two Chengs, especially Cheng Yi, and in that sense this book can be considered an introductory book to Neo-Confucianism. Also in the same year, at the suggestion of Lü Zuqian, he met with the brothers Lu Jiuyuan (Xiangshan), who were leading figures in the intellectual world at the time, in what was known as the "E'hu Meeting." After this, Lu Jiuyuan continued to be a worthy rival, and along with Chen Liang (Longchuan) of the Utilitarian School, he was the one Zhu Xi debated with the most vigor, which in turn helped to further refine and mature his thought.

During these 20 years, he began working on many works, including interpretations of classics such as "The Essential Meaning of the Book of Changes," "Anthology of Poetry," "Annotations on the Four Books," and "Some Questions on the Four Books," critical editions and compilations of works by predecessors from the Northern Song Dynasty onward, such as "Illustrated Commentary on the Tai Chi," "Commentary on the Tongshu," "Commentary on the Ximing," "The Sayings of Xie Shangcai," "Questions on Yanping," and "The Last Words and Outer Writings of Cheng," collections of biographies of such predecessors, such as "The Records of Yiluo Yuanyuan" and "Records of the Sayings and Deeds of Famous Ministers," as well as "The Guide to the Zizhi Tongjian," which addressed the issue of the legitimacy of the dynasty.

Of these, the most noteworthy is the Collected Commentaries on the Four Books, which he is said to have revised until just before his death. Zhu Xi praised the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean, and positioned them as the "Four Books" along with the Analects and Mencius as introductory and stepping-stone books to the Five Classics, because he considered their organic ideological relevance. That is, on the one hand, they were based on a theory of Taoism that recognized the orthodox tradition of the Confucian Way and sought to inherit it once again, and on the other hand, they clearly indicated the purpose and steps of learning to grasp the Way, based on the fundamental idea of Song learning that "sages can attain it by studying." This meant the establishment of a new Confucianism, which differed from the exegesis-based study of the classics of the Han and Tang dynasties, in that it sought to learn a unified philosophy through the classics, embody their true meaning, perfect one's own character, and realize the Confucian ideal of cultivating oneself and governing others.

At the age of 49, he served as governor of Nankangjun in Jiangxi Province (2 years), then was in charge of famine countermeasures in Zhejiang Province (1 year), at the age of 61, he served as governor of Zhangzhou in Fujian Province (1 year), and at the age of 65, he served as governor of Tanzhou in Hunan Province and as an envoy for peace south of Jinghu (3 months).Finally, he was summoned to the central government and became a waiter at Huanzhang Pavilion and a lecturer (an advisor to the emperor), but he clashed with the then prime minister, Han Hochu, and resigned after only 45 days. Later, as the Han Laoshu faction gained control of the government, Zhu Xi was stripped of his qualifications as an official and his learning was suppressed as false, but he did not give in and ended his life lecturing and writing.

His later works include "Enlightenment of the Learning of Changes," "Publishing Mistakes in the Book of Filial Piety," "Small Learning," "Collected Commentaries on the Chu Ci," "Different Korean Texts," and "Interpretation of the Classic of Rites." After his death, he compiled "Collected Commentaries on Zhu Wen Gongwen" and "Zhu Zi Gorui," which, along with "Collected Commentaries on the Four Books," are essential materials for the study of Zhu Xi and Zhu Xi's philosophy.

As mentioned above, his time as a government official was short (about 10 years), and most of his time was spent as a local official, but he worked diligently in his duties and achieved many outstanding results, including the establishment of the Shasoho Law. His life was a mix of scholar and bureaucrat, but socially he was a great source of inspiration to the scholars of his time.

[Akira Oshima February 17, 2016]

Ideological characteristics

Zhu Xi's philosophy is called Li-Qi philosophy, but he established metaphysical principles against physical Qi, clarified the relationship between Li and Qi, and completed a consistent theoretical system using Li-Qi, ranging from theories of generation and ontology to theories of mentality and self-cultivation. His method of learning and self-cultivation takes the form of recovering what humans are originally born with, and the ingenuity and effort required for this is "Kyokeikyuuri (Kyokeikyuuri)". The two complement each other, but "Kyokeikyuuri" is to prevent the mind from being hindered by passions and to eliminate delusional thoughts and delusional actions, and "Kakubutsuchichi (Kakubutsuchichi)" is to thoroughly understand the principles inherent in all things, and by accumulating such efforts, one can become familiar with all principles and grasp the one fundamental principle. The range of things that Zhu Xi considered was very wide, even extending to the field of so-called natural science. Although this was an attempt to investigate the basis for the universal validity of moral norms, it also attempted to grasp the creation and existence of all things in a unified manner through the creation-theory connections of Yi Qi, Yin Yang, and the Five Elements, and it made a great contribution and influence to the development of astronomy and other natural sciences in China. Research on this aspect has also begun in recent years.

[Akira Oshima February 17, 2016]

"World Masterpieces 19: Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming" edited by Kengo Araki (1978, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "Intellectual Heritage of Mankind 19: Zhu Xi" by Kunio Miura (1979, Kodansha)" ▽ "Natural Science of Zhu Xi" by Keiji Yamada (1978, Iwanami Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

中国、南宋(なんそう)の思想家。いわゆる朱子学を築いた人。字(あざな)は元晦(げんかい)、または仲晦(ちゅうかい)。号は晦庵(かいあん)その他。文公と諡(おくりな)され、朱子はその尊称である。

［大島　晃　2016年2月17日］

生い立ち

本貫は徽州(きしゅう)婺源(ぶげん)（江西省）の人（なお、徽州は新安の改称であることから、自らは多く新安の人と名のった）。福建省山間部の尤渓(ゆうけい)で生まれ、その生涯のほとんどを、建甌(けんおう)、建陽、崇安(すうあん)といった閩(びん)（福建省）北の地で送った。中原(ちゅうげん)の文化からは遠く隔てられた僻遠(へきえん)の地ともいえる片田舎(かたいなか)で生まれ育ったことになる。

　14歳のときに、中級官吏であった父朱松(しゅしょう)（1097―1143）は病死したが、その後、崇安の胡籍渓(こせきけい)、劉白水(りゅうはくすい)、劉屏山(りゅうへいざん)（子翬(しき)、1101―1147）（建安の三先生とよばれる）に師事し、母を奉じて勉学に励んだ。初年は儒教的教養を受けつつも老荘仏教に興味を寄せた。19歳、科挙に及第し、24歳で任官して福建省の同安県主簿(しゅぼ)（帳簿処理官）を4年間務めた。おりしも、程頤(ていい)（伊川(いせん)）の学統を継ぐ李侗(りとう)（延平、1093―1163）と出会いこれに師事し、しだいに儒教に傾斜していき、新儒学の精髄を開示された。

［大島　晃　2016年2月17日］

学問と著述

28歳で職を退き、その後20年余、官職につくことがなく、国家から年金をもらって家居生活を送り、学問著述に専念した。この間、李侗を失ってのち、張栻(ちょうしょく)（南軒(なんけん)）、呂祖謙(りょそけん)（東莱(とうらい)）との交流が始まり、朱熹の思想形成に多大の影響を与えたが、だいたい40歳のころにその思想の大綱が確立したと思われる。46歳のとき、呂祖謙とともに『近思録』を編纂(へんさん)し、北宋(ほくそう)の道学者、周敦頤(しゅうとんい)（濂渓(れんけい)）、程顥(ていこう)（明道）、程頤、張載（横渠(おうきょ)）の言論622条を門目別に14巻に分かち、一書にまとめた。朱熹の学問は、この4人を中心に北宋の新しい学風を受けて集大成したものであるが、程朱学と連称されるように、二程とりわけ程頤の学説を継承展開させており、その意味でこの書は朱子学の入門の書ということができる。またこの年、呂祖謙の提唱で、当時の思想界の一方の雄であった陸九淵(りくきゅうえん)（象山(しょうざん)）兄弟と「鵝湖(がこ)の会」と称される会見を行った。こののちも陸九淵は彼の好敵手となり、功利学派の陳亮(ちんりょう)（龍川）と並んで、朱熹がもっとも力を込めて論陣を張る相手となり、逆にそれを通じて彼の思想はいっそう純化成熟していった。

　そしてこの20年間に多数の著作に着手した。すなわち『周易(しゅうえき)本義』『詩集伝』『四書集註(ししょしっちゅう)』『四書或問(わくもん)』といった経典解釈、『太極(たいきょく)図説解』『通書解』『西銘解』『謝上蔡語録(しゃじょうさいごろく)』『延平答問』『程氏遺書・外書』など北宋以来の先学の著作の校訂編纂、かかる先学の伝記を集めた『伊洛淵源(いらくえんげん)録』や『名臣言行録』、さらに王朝の正統性を問題にした『資治通鑑(しじつがん)綱目』など、これらの著作の定本や稿本がつくられた。

　このうち、着目すべきは『四書集註』で、死の直前まで『集註』には手を加えたという。朱熹が『大学』『中庸(ちゅうよう)』を表彰し『論語』『孟子(もうし)』とともに「四書」として五経の入門、階梯(かいてい)の書と位置づけたのは、思想的に有機的な関連性を考えてのことである。すなわち、一つは儒教の道の正統なる伝統を認めてそれをふたたび継承せんとする道統論のうえから、一つは「聖人学んで至る可(べ)し」という宋学の根本観念のもと道の把握に向けて学問の目的とその次第が明確に示されているという点からである。それは漢唐の訓詁(くんこ)学的経学(けいがく)とは違って、経書を通じて統一的思想を学び、その真義を体して己の人格の完成を図り、儒学の理想とする修己治人の道を実現しようという新儒学の樹立を意味する。

　49歳江西省の南康軍(なんこうぐん)知事（2年）、ついで浙江(せっこう)省で飢饉(ききん)対策の任にあたり（1年）、61歳福建省漳州(しょうしゅう)知事（1年）、65歳湖南省潭州(たんしゅう)知事兼荊湖(けいこ)南路安撫使(あんぶし)（3か月）を歴任、最後に中央に召され煥章閣(かんしょうかく)待制兼侍講(じこう)（天子の顧問官）となるが、時の宰相の韓侂冑(かんたくちゅう)と衝突し、わずか45日で辞任する。その後、韓侂冑一派が政権を掌握するのに伴い、朱熹は官吏としての資格を剥奪(はくだつ)され、その学は偽学として弾圧を受けたが、屈せず、講学と著述のうちにその生涯を終えた。

　後半期の著作には『易学啓蒙(けいもう)』『孝経刊誤』『小学』『楚辞(そじ)集註』『韓文(かんぶん)考異』『儀礼経伝通解』などがある。また没後、『朱文公文集』『朱子語類』が編纂されたが、『四書集註』と並んで朱熹および朱子学研究の必須(ひっす)の資料である。

　上述のように、官吏として現職にある期間は短く（約10年間）、その大部分は地方官であったが、職務にも精励し、社倉法など優れた治績も残している。その一生はいわば学者と官僚との交錯であるが、社会的には当時の学者に多くの刺激を与えた。

［大島　晃　2016年2月17日］

思想的特徴

朱熹の哲学は理気哲学といわれるが、形而下(けいじか)の気に対して形而上の理をたて、理と気の関係を明確にし、生成論・存在論から心性論・修養論にわたって、理気によって一貫した理論体系を完成した。その学問修養法は、人間が本来有しているものを回復するという形をとり、そのための工夫・努力が「居敬窮理(きょけいきゅうり)」である。両者は相互に補完しあうものだが、「居敬」とは心を情欲に妨害されぬようにし、妄思妄動をなくすこと、「窮理」（格物致知(かくぶつちち)）は事事物物についてそれに内在する理を窮めていくことで、その努力を積み重ねてすべての理に通暁(つうぎょう)し、根源の一理の把握を目ざすものである。朱熹の考える事物の範囲はたいへん広く、いわゆる自然学の分野にまで及んでいる。それはあくまで道徳的規範の普遍妥当性の根拠を追究するものであったが、一気・陰陽・五行の生成論的な連関で万物の生成存在を統一的に把握しようとしたことと相まって、天文学をはじめ中国の自然学の展開のなかでも多大の貢献をし影響を与えた。近年その面に関する研究も行われ始めている。

［大島　晃　2016年2月17日］

『荒木見悟編『世界の名著19　朱子・王陽明』（1978・中央公論社）』▽『三浦国雄著『人類の知的遺産19　朱子』（1979・講談社）』▽『山田慶児著『朱子の自然学』（1978・岩波書店）』