Theory of the Unity of Shinto and Confucianism

Japanese: 神儒一致論 - しんじゅいっちろん

This is the central idea of the Shinto theory advocated during the Edo period. In the early modern period, Confucianism became the central ideology of the era, but there were many Confucians who preached the unity of ancient Japanese Shinto and imported Confucianism, and even among original Shintoists there were those who argued for the Shinto-Confucian unity view, and the theory of Shinto-Confucian unity was a trend in the intellectual circles of the early modern period. Here, I would like to explain the development of the theory of Shinto-Confucian unity in Confucian Shinto in particular. Hayashi Razan, who is said to be the father of early modern Confucianism, wrote works such as "Honsho Jinja Ko" and "Shinja Ko Shosetsu," and also wrote "Shinto Denju" for Sakai Tadakatsu, the lord of Wakasa Province, in which he explained Shinto in terms of the Confucian theory of reason, energy, yin and yang, and attempted to advocate a theory of Shinto for the household.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

江戸時代に唱えられた神道説の中心をなす思想。近世前期は儒教が時代の中心思想となった時期であるが，儒家の間に日本古来の神道と外来の儒教思想との一致を説く者が多く，また本来の神道家の間にも神儒一致的見解を論じた人もあり，神儒一致論は近世前期の思想界の時代的傾向であった。ここではとくに儒家神道における神儒一致論の展開について説明したい。近世儒学の祖と言われる林羅山は《本朝神社考》《神社考詳節》などを著し，また若狭国主酒井忠勝のため《神道伝授》を著し，神道を理気陰陽の儒教理論で説明し，一家の神道説を提唱しようとした。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Shen Zhou

>>: Shinjuan - Shinjuan