Lunheng - Ronko

Wang Chong, a thinker from the Later Han Dynasty in China, wrote "Lunheng" in 30 volumes and 85 chapters over a period of 30 years. The Jingjizhi section of the Sui Shu classifies this work as "Miscellaneous". Perhaps reflecting his unfortunate life, the chapter on encounters is placed at the beginning of the book, and it explains that the encounters one receives in service are unrelated to one's talent or conduct, and that it is due to chance. This coincidence is related to the view of heaven as a natural and inactionable way that rejects human intervention and action, and he developed a unique theory of fate that says that human fate, nobility, life expectancy, etc. are determined by the strength or weakness of the energy brought about by the heavenly stars and the dignity of the stars as soon as one comes into life. The viewpoint of heaven as a natural heaven is also a criticism of the theory of disasters and strange things. This criticism tends to rationalize the governance of the time and the rule of the emperor. Along these lines, Wang Chong developed the theory of the Great Han Dynasty's Sacred Kings, which praised the Han Dynasty, especially the reign of Emperor Zhang, as a holy age. He also systematized his criticism of the theory of immortality and eternal life in the form of theories on the absence of ghosts, simple burials, and rituals, arguing that rituals have no connection to good or bad luck. This atheism is also deeply connected to his criticism of folk religions.

[Takao Okubo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、後漢(ごかん)の思想家王充(おうじゅう)の著書。30数年の歳月を費やし、『論衡』30巻、85篇(へん)を著した。『隋書(ずいしょ)』経籍志はこの書を「雑家」に分類する。その内容は、不遇の生涯を反映してか、逢遇(ほうぐう)篇を冒頭に配し、仕官の遇・不遇は才能、行操と無関係であると説き、これを偶然によるものと解釈した。この偶然性は人為・有為を排する自然無為の天道観とかかわり、人間の運命、貴賤寿夭(きせんじゅよう)等々は、生命を得ると同時に天の星宿からもたらされる気の厚薄、星の尊卑により決定するという独得な運命論を展開した。天を自然天とする観点は、災異天譴(てんけん)説の批判ともなる。この批判は時の治政、帝王の統治を合理化する傾向をもつ。この線上に、王充は、漢代、とくに章帝の時代を聖世として頌(しょう)する大漢聖王論を展開する。また、神仙不老長生説の批判は無鬼論、薄葬論、祭祀(さいし)論へと体系化され、祭祀と吉凶禍福とは無縁であることを論ずる。これらの無神論は民間宗教批判とも深くかかわっている。

［大久保隆郎］

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