Uesugi Shinkichi

Constitutional scholar. Born in Fukui Prefecture on August 18, 1878. After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University in 1903 (Meiji 36), he became an assistant professor, studied in Germany from 1904 to 1909, and became a professor in 1919. Initially, he advocated that "the state is a person" and "the emperor is the highest organ of the state," and supported the theory that the state is a corporation and the theory that the emperor is an organ of the state. However, after studying in Germany, he changed his mind and became known as one of the leading scholars of the theory of imperial sovereignty during the Meiji Constitution period, with Hozumi Yatsuka as his teacher. In the preface to his book "Imperial Constitutional Principles" written in 1919, he wrote, "Most of the writings and papers I have written before my trip to the West have conveyed erroneous views." In the same year, he succeeded Hozumi as professor of the constitutional law course at Tokyo Imperial University, and after that, he played an active role as a representative of the school of imperial sovereignty theory, and had a fierce debate with Minobe Tatsukichi. This argument was based on the idea that the state's sovereignty was unlimited, that national law was not binding on the Emperor, that subjects must absolutely and infinitely obey the Emperor's commands, and that parliament was not an indispensable institution to the state.

After World War I, he established Shichiseisha within the University of Tokyo, and outside the university he presided over the Keirei Gakumei (Ethics and Ethics League) and Kenkokukai (National Diet Building), and his activities extended to practical movements. His major works include "New Draft Imperial Constitution" (1922) and "New Draft Constitution Statement" (1924). He passed away on April 7, 1929.

[Masaaki Ikeda]

"Hoshijima Jiro (ed.), "Dr. Uesugi vs. Dr. Minobe: Recent Constitutional Theory" (1913, Jitsugyo no Nihonsha)" ▽ "Ienaga Saburo, "Research on the History of Modern Japanese Constitutional Thought" (1967, Iwanami Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

憲法学者。明治11年8月18日福井県に生まれる。1903年（明治36）東京帝国大学卒業後、助教授となり、04年から09年までドイツに留学、12年に教授となる。初め、「国家ハ一ノ人格タリ」「天皇ハ国家ノ最高機関ニシテ」と説き国家法人説、天皇機関説をとっていたが、ドイツ留学後に転向し、穂積八束(ほづみやつか)を師とする明治憲法時代の有力な天皇主権説学派の一人として知られる。12年の著『帝国憲法綱領』の序文に「予ガ西遊以前ノ著述論文ハ、多クハ皆誤謬(ごびゅう)ノ見解ヲ伝ヘタリ」と記し、同年、穂積の後継として東京帝国大学の憲法講座担当教授となったのちは、天皇主権説学派の代表者として活躍し、美濃部達吉(みのべたつきち)と激しく論争した。その主張は、国家の統治権は無限であり、国法は天皇を拘束せず、天皇の命令には臣民は絶対無限に服従しなければならないとし、議会も国家にとって不可欠の機関ではない、といった考え方に基づいていた。

　第一次世界大戦後には、東京帝国大学内に七生社(しちせいしゃ)をおこし、学外では経倫学盟、建国会などを主宰するなど、その活動は実践運動にまで及んだ。主著には『新稿帝国憲法』（1922）、『新稿憲法述義』（1924）などがある。昭和4年4月7日死去。

［池田政章］

『星島二郎編『上杉博士対美濃部博士最近憲法論』（1913・実業之日本社）』▽『家永三郎著『日本近代憲法思想史研究』（1967・岩波書店）』

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