Yoshino Sakuzo

Political scientist. Theoretical leader of Taisho democracy. Born in Furukawa-cho, Miyagi Prefecture (now Osaki City) in 1878. After graduating from a prefectural ordinary middle school at the top of his class, he went on to Second High School and entered the law department of Tokyo Imperial University in 1900 (Meiji 33), where he majored in political science. During his time at Second High School, he listened to Miss Busell's Bible lectures and sermons by Oshikawa Masayoshi and Ebina Danjo, which led him to embrace Christianity. Later, while studying at Tokyo University, he helped edit the magazine Shinjin, which was run by Ebina, and interacted with Christian socialists such as Abe Isoo and Kinoshita Naoe through Hongo Church. At university, he was influenced by Onozuka Kiheiji, and in particular studied Onozuka's "people" ideology and positivist methodology, which advocated the independence of political science from German-style state studies and national law. In 1906, he was invited to be a private tutor for the eldest son of Yuan Shikai of the Qing Dynasty, and the following year, in 1907, he became a teacher at the Beiyang School of Law and Politics. In 1909, he became an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo. The following year, in 1910, he departed for three years to study in Europe and the United States, where he became acquainted with Makino Eiichi and Sasaki Soichi. After returning to Japan, he became a professor in 1914 (Taisho 3) and was in charge of political history courses. Then, in January 1916, he published his signature article in Chuokoron entitled "Explaining the true meaning of constitutional government and discussing the way to bring it to a successful conclusion." After that, he published a series of political essays on "people-based government" in Chuokoron, and he quickly became a darling of the intellectual world.

Yoshino's political theory placed emphasis on the exercise of sovereignty, that is, the respect for popular opinion, which holds that the purpose of politics should be the welfare of the general public and that policy decisions should be based on the will of the general public. He aimed to realize constitutional government within the framework of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, and he clearly distinguished the location and exercise of sovereignty, and he said that the people were the "supervisors" of politics, not the "initiators," and he was criticized by socialists for not taking a thorough view of popular sovereignty. However, he advocated specific domestic reforms, such as universal suffrage and a party cabinet system, and reforms to the House of Peers and the Privy Council. He also showed an external view of "democratic internationalism," arguing for disarmament, criticizing the Siberian Intervention, and showing deep understanding of attacks on military colonial rule and the nationalism of the Korean and Chinese peoples. In 1918, he founded the Reimeikai Society with Fukuda Tokuzo and others, and also organized the Shinjinkai within the University of Tokyo, engaging in speech activities in defense of democracy and educating students. In February 1924, he joined the Asahi Shimbun Company, but left the company after just three months due to a scandal involving his writing. He then devoted himself to academic research, publishing the Meiji Culture Collection. However, he continued to make bold social statements to the end, such as cooperating in the formation of the Social Democratic Party in 1926 and denouncing the May 15 Incident (1932).

[Takeshi Nishida]

"The Collected Works of Dr. Yoshino Sakuzo on Democracy," 8 volumes (1948, Shinkigensha)" ▽ "The Structure and Function of 'People-Based Doctrine' -- With a Focus on Yoshino Sakuzo," by Matsumoto Sannosuke (included in Politics and Humanity in Modern Japan, 1966, Sobunsha)" ▽ "The Collected Works of Yoshino Sakuzo," edited by Matsuo Takatsune (1976, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "The Collected Works of Yoshino Sakuzo," edited by Mitani Taichiro (Chuko Bunko)" ▽ "The Collected Works of Yoshino Sakuzo -- Discussing Popular Demonstration Movements and Others," edited by Mitani Taichiro (1984, Chuokoron-Shinsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

政治学者。大正デモクラシーの理論的指導者。明治11年宮城県古川町（現大崎(おおさき)市）に生まれる。首席で県立尋常中学校を卒業後、二高を経て、1900年（明治33）に東京帝国大学法科に入学、政治学を専攻する。二高時代に、ミス・ブゼルの聖書講義や押川方義(おしかわまさよし)、海老名弾正(えびなだんじょう)らの説教を聞いたのが機縁でキリスト教の信仰をもつ。その後、東大学生時代には海老名が主宰する雑誌『新人』の編集を助けたり、本郷教会を通して安部磯雄(あべいそお)や木下尚江(きのしたなおえ)らのキリスト教社会主義者と交流する。大学では、小野塚喜平次(おのづかきへいじ)の影響を受け、とくに、小野塚の「衆民」主義とドイツ流の国家学や国法学からの政治学の独立を主張する実証主義的方法論を学んだ。1906年、清(しん)国の袁世凱(えんせいがい)の長子の家庭教師として招かれ、翌1907年には北洋法政専門学堂の教師となる。1909年に東大助教授に就任。翌1910年、3か年の欧米留学に出発。ベルリンで牧野英一や佐々木惣一(そういち)らと交遊する。帰国後、1914年（大正3）に教授になり政治史講座を担当する。そうして、1916年1月『中央公論』に代表論文「憲政の本義を説いて其(その)有終の美を済(な)すの途(みち)を論ず」を発表、以後、続々と『中央公論』に「民本主義」の政論を発表して、一躍論壇の寵児(ちょうじ)となる。

　吉野の政論は、主権の運用論、つまり、政治の目的が一般民衆の利福にあること、政策決定は一般民衆の意向によるべしとする民衆輿論(よろん)の尊重に力点が置かれた。彼は、大日本帝国憲法の枠内で立憲政治の実現を意図し、主権の所在と運用を明確に区分して、民衆は政治の「監督者」であって「主動者」でないとするなど、徹底した人民主権説をとらなかったので、社会主義者たちから批判された。しかし、普通選挙制や政党内閣制の主張、貴族院や枢密院改革論など具体的な内政改革を提唱し、また、軍備縮小論やシベリア出兵批判、武断的な植民地支配の攻撃や朝鮮・中国民族のナショナリズムに深い理解を示すなど「民主的国際主義」の対外認識を示した。1918年、福田徳三(とくぞう)らと黎明会(れいめいかい)を結成、また、東大内に新人会を組織して、民主主義擁護の言論活動や学生の啓蒙(けいもう)活動を行った。1924年2月、朝日新聞社に入社するが、筆禍事件を起こしてわずか3か月で退社。その後、『明治文化全集』を刊行するなどアカデミックな研究生活に没頭する。しかし、1926年に社会民衆党の結成に協力したり、五・一五事件（1932）を非難するなど最後まで果敢な社会的発言をやめなかった。

［西田　毅］

『『吉野作造博士民主主義論集』全8巻（1948・新紀元社）』▽『松本三之介著『「民本主義」の構造と機能――吉野作造を中心として』（『近代日本の政治と人間』所収・1966・創文社）』▽『松尾尊兌編『吉野作造集』（1976・筑摩書房）』▽『三谷太一郎編『吉野作造論集』（中公文庫）』▽『三谷太一郎編『吉野作造――民衆的示威運動を論ず／他』（1984・中央公論社）』

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