Ogyu Sorai

A Confucian scholar from the mid-Edo period. His childhood name was Nabematsu, his pen name was Mokei, his common name was Soemon, and his pen name was Sorai. The original surname of the Ogyu clan is said to have been Mononobe, and he also signed it as Butsumokei, a Chinese-style one-character surname. His ancestors were samurai from Mikawa or Ise, and his grandfather became doctors, and his father, Houan (1626-1706), was the personal physician to Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (then lord of Tatebayashi Domain). Sorai was born in Edo on February 16, 6th year of the Kanbun era. At the age of 14, his father incurred the wrath of Tsunayoshi and was banished from Edo. The family moved to his mother's hometown of Honno Village, Nagara County, Kazusa Province (present-day Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture). His experience of the difficult life of a farming village and his study through the scarce books became the foundation of Sorai's academic studies. When he was 25 years old (27 years old according to some sources), his father was pardoned and the family returned to Edo. Sorai opened a private school near Zojoji Temple in Shiba. His academic ability was soon recognized, and in 1696 (9th year of the Genroku era) at the age of 31, he served Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, and had the opportunity to approach the Shogun Tsunayoshi. As a retainer of the Yanagisawa family, he worked on the annotating and publishing of Chinese history books such as "Shinjo" and on the compilation of Tsunayoshi's biography "Kenbyo Jitsuroku", and was promoted to a stipend of 500 koku for his achievements. During this time, when Tsunayoshi died in 1709 (the 6th year of the Hoei era), Sorai was allowed to leave his domain residence and work freely as a scholar in Edo city while still retaining his status as a samurai, thanks to the consideration of his lord Yoshiyasu, who had lost his influence in the shogunate. As he first lived in Kayabacho, Nihonbashi, his study was called Kenen, and even after Sorai moved to Ushigome and other areas, he continued to use the name Kenen, and his disciples were called the Kenen Society.

From an early age, Sorai made efforts to read classical Chinese precisely, achieving results such as the dictionary "Yakubun Sentei." From around the age of 40, he became influenced by the literary theory of Kobunji, advocated by Li Panlong and Wang Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty, and began to conduct empirical research into ancient Chinese language and writing. He applied this method to the hermeneutics of classic Confucianism, establishing a new academic style known as Kobunjigaku. In "Kyoen Zuihitsu" published in 1714 (4th year of the Shōtoku era), Sorai still criticized the scholarship of Ito Jinsai from the standpoint of Neo-Confucianism, but in "Bendo" and "Benmei" published in 1717 (2nd year of the Kyoho era), he developed a more thorough criticism of Neo-Confucianism than Jinsai, and asserted his own unique philosophy that placed emphasis on political methods rather than morality, stating that "the Way" refers to the "ritual, music, punishment and government" that the former kings (emperors of ancient China) had created to govern the world. After this, in 1721, Sorai was ordered by the shogunate to add kunten to "Rikuyuengi", and soon began to receive indirect political consultations from the shogun Yoshimune. In response to this consultation, he wrote "Seidan" (Political Discussion), in which he outlined his proposals for reforming shogunate politics. It is said that Yoshimune had the intention of appointing Sorai to the shogunate, but this never came to fruition as Sorai died of illness on January 19, 1713. His grave is at Chosho-ji Temple (Mita, Minato Ward, Tokyo).

His other writings cover a wide range of subjects, including "The Analects of Confucius," "Gakuzoku," "Tomonsho," the legal text "Minritsu Kokujikai," and the military science text "Kenroku." Sorai was meticulous in his studies, but generous and tolerant in interpersonal relationships, and based on his educational theory that advocates respect for diverse individuality, he produced many outstanding scholars and writers, including Dazai Shundai and Hattori Nankaku. It is also an important fact that Sorai's original academic style and ideas are thought to have influenced the formation of national learning by Motoori Norinaga and others.

[Masahide Bito April 18, 2016]

"The Complete Works of Ogyu Sorai, 20 volumes (1973-, Misuzu Shobo)" ▽ "The Series of Japanese Thought 36: Ogyu Sorai" (1973, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Famous Works of Japan 16: Ogyu Sorai" (1983, Chuokoron-Shinsha) ▽ "Studies on Sorai, by Iwahashi Junnari (1934, Seki Shoin; reprint edition, 1969, Meisaku Kankokai)" ▽ "Jinsai, Sorai, and Norinaga, by Yoshikawa Kojiro (1975, Iwanami Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の儒学者。幼名は双松(なべまつ)、字(あざな)は茂卿(もけい)、通称は惣右衛門(そうえもん)、号が徂徠である。荻生氏の本姓は物部(もののべ)氏と伝えられ、中国風の一字の姓として、物(ぶつ)茂卿とも署名した。先祖は三河(みかわ)または伊勢(いせ)の武士で、祖父の代から医師となり、父方庵(ほうあん)（1626―1706）は徳川綱吉（当時は館林(たてばやし)藩主）の侍医であった。徂徠は寛文(かんぶん)6年2月16日に江戸で生まれたが、14歳のとき、父が綱吉の怒りに触れて江戸から追放され、一家は母の郷里である上総(かずさ)国長柄(ながら)郡本納(ほんのう)村（現、千葉県茂原(もばら)市）に移った。ここで農村の不自由な生活を体験し、また乏しい書籍を熟読して勉学したことが、徂徠の学問の基礎となった。25歳（一説では27歳）のころ、父が赦免されて一家は江戸に帰り、徂徠は芝の増上寺(ぞうじょうじ)の付近で私塾を開いたが、やがてその学力を認められて、31歳の1696年（元禄9）から柳沢吉保(やなぎさわよしやす)に仕え、将軍綱吉にも接近する機会をもつようになった。柳沢家の臣として、『晋書(しんじょ)』など中国の史書の校注・出版や、また綱吉の伝記『憲廟(けんびょう)実録』の編纂(へんさん)などに従事し、その功績により禄高(ろくだか)500石にまで昇進した。この間、1709年（宝永6）に綱吉が没すると、幕府での権勢を失った主君吉保の配慮により、徂徠は藩士の身分のまま、藩邸を出て、江戸市中で自由な学者として活動することを許された。最初に日本橋茅場町(かやばちょう)に住んだので、その書斎を蘐園(けんえん)と称し、徂徠が牛込(うしごめ)などに転居したのちも、蘐園を号として用い、門人たちは蘐園社中とよばれた。

　徂徠は早くから漢文を精密に読むことに努力し、辞書『訳文筌蹄(せんてい)』などの成果をあげていたが、40歳の前後から、明(みん)の李攀竜(りはんりゅう)、王世貞(おうせいてい)らが唱えた文学理論としての古文辞(こぶんじ)の影響を受け、中国古代の言語や文章の実証的研究を進めるとともに、この方法を経学すなわち儒学の古典の解釈学に適用して、古文辞学という新しい学風を樹立した。1714年（正徳4）に出版した『蘐園随筆』では、まだ朱子学の立場から伊藤仁斎(じんさい)の学問を批判していたが、1717年（享保2）の著『弁道(べんどう)』『弁名(べんめい)』になると、仁斎よりもいっそう徹底した朱子学批判を展開するとともに、「道」とは、先王（古代中国の帝王）が天下を治めるために作為した「礼楽刑政」すなわち政治制度のことであるとし、道徳よりも政治の方法に重点を置く独自の思想を主張している。こののち徂徠は、1721年に幕府から『六諭衍義(りくゆえんぎ)』に訓点をつけることを命ぜられ、まもなく将軍吉宗(よしむね)から間接に政治上の諮問を受けるようになった。この諮問に答え、幕府政治の改革案を述べた著書が『政談』である。吉宗には徂徠を幕府に登用する意志があったと伝えられるが、徂徠は享保(きょうほう)13年1月19日に病死したので、実現をみなかった。墓は長松寺(ちょうしょうじ)（東京都港区三田）にある。

　著書はほかに『論語徴(ろんごちょう)』『学則』『答問書』、および法律に関する『明律国字解(みんりつこくじかい)』、兵学に関する『鈐録(けんろく)』など、多方面にわたっている。徂徠の性格は、学問上では細心であったが、対人関係では豪放で寛容であり、多様な個性の尊重を説くその教育論に基づいて、太宰春台(だざいしゅんだい)、服部南郭(はっとりなんかく)をはじめ、多くの優れた学者や文人を門下から輩出させることとなった。また、徂徠の独創的な学風や思想が、本居宣長(もとおりのりなが)らによる国学の形成に影響を及ぼしたとみられるのも、重要な事実である。

［尾藤正英　2016年4月18日］

『『荻生徂徠全集』全20巻（1973～ ・みすず書房）』▽『『日本思想大系36　荻生徂徠』（1973・岩波書店）』▽『『日本の名著16　荻生徂徠』（1983・中央公論社）』▽『岩橋遵成著『徂徠研究』（1934・関書院／復刻版・1969・名著刊行会）』▽『吉川幸次郎著『仁斎・徂徠・宣長』（1975・岩波書店）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例