Royal road - Oudou

A political way of governing with benevolence and love, as opposed to the way of hegemony through force. It was advocated by the Confucian scholar Mencius during the Warring States period in China. The feudal lords of the time sought to overwhelm other countries through military force and become rulers who could command the world. However, this military conquest and rule would alienate the people and ultimately destroy the country, and Mencius believed that the royal way of governing the world was to win the people over through benevolence and love. He believed that the key to governing was not the size of the territory or army, but the understanding of the people's hearts. Mencius' argument advocated a rule of virtue based on benevolence and love, taking into account the desires of the feudal lords. This royal way was supported not by a sense of utilitarianism, but by a spirit of benevolence and righteousness. He also argued that ancient sage kings such as Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen, and King Wu all followed this Kingly Way. Mencius's clear distinction between the Kingly Way and the Way of Hegemony became one of the main arguments of Confucianism for a long time as the "argument of kings and hegemons."

[Kenjiro Tsuchida]

In Japan, this idea was also accepted by Confucian scholars of the Edo period, and Yamazaki Ansai advocated sonno sekiha (revere the Emperor and expel hegemony). Regarding the relationship between the Imperial Court and the Shogunate, the understanding that the Shogunate's position was the royal road, as seen in Arai Hakuseki's work, was initially common, but gradually the idea that the Shogunate, which exercised secular power, was the hegemon and the Imperial family was the king spread, giving rise to the idea of ​​sonno seki (revere the Emperor) centered around Mitogaku.

[Akashi Kazunori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仁愛(じんあい)によって統治する政道。力による覇道(はどう)に対する。中国、戦国時代の儒者である孟子(もうし)が唱えた。当時の諸侯は武力によって他国を圧倒し、天下に号令できる覇者になることを求めていた。しかしこの武力による征服・支配では民心が離反し、結局は国を滅ぼすとして、孟子はむしろ仁愛によって民心を帰服させる王道こそが天下統治への道であるとした。領土や軍隊の大小よりも、民心の把握いかんが統治の要諦(ようてい)であるとした。孟子のこの議論は、諸侯の欲望を踏まえたうえで仁愛の徳治を説くものであった。この王道を支えるのは功利の念ではなく仁義(じんぎ)の心である。そして堯(ぎょう)、舜(しゅん)、禹(う)、湯(とう)、文王、武王らの古(いにしえ)の聖王は皆この王道に拠(よ)っているとした。孟子の王道と覇道の峻別(しゅんべつ)は、「王覇の弁」として長く儒家の主要な主張の一つとなった。

［土田健次郎］

　この思想は、わが国では江戸時代の朱子学者にも受け入れられ、山崎闇斎(あんさい)は尊王斥覇(そんのうせきは)を唱えた。朝幕関係については、初めは新井白石(あらいはくせき)のように幕府の立場を王道とする理解が一般的であったが、しだいに、世俗的な権力を行使する幕府を覇とし皇室を王とする考えが広まり、水戸学を中心に尊王論を生み出した。

［明石一紀］

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