著者

柳田 直美

出版者

学習院大学外国語教育研究センター

雑誌

言語・文化・社会 (ISSN:13479105)

巻号頁・発行日

no.13, pp.1-29, 2015-03

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This article surveys the reign of the fifth Tokugawa Shogun Tsunayoshi 綱吉, considered as "an absolute monarch", or in the opinion of Kaempfer, as "a good and just, wise sovereign". When Tsunayoshi inherited his position in 1680 an era of peace and stability had begun. He therefore changed policy from ruling by military authority to attaching greater importance to matters of etiquette and hierarchical order.During the transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasties in early 17th century, when there was no strict division between Buddhism and Confucianism in China, rituals to do good deeds were widely organized under the guidance of Confucian intellectuals. Japanese versions of morality books reflecting this tradition were published around the beginning of Tsunayoshi's government.According to one view the ultimate purpose in books of morality was to make citizens supportive of an ideal absolute government. Tsunayoshi, who was devoted to Confucian thought, considered that the cultivation of "benevolence 仁心" and "mercy 慈悲" was the utmost "good", and through his "policy of compassion for living things 生類憐み政策" he made people respect life and accumulate "good deeds".Tsunayoshi adopted Confucianism as a ceremonial doctrine to achieve cultural supremacy in opposition to the court. However, when we consider his policy of compassion we realise that Tsunayoshi was also influenced by the Confucian idea of retribution for good and bad deeds that appears in Chinese morality books.