Tokugawa Thought Keywords + Other notes Flashcards
Kyoho Reforms — Kyōhō expansion of learning
Promoted “practical” learning:
Governance, Ethics for social action/cohesion, Productivity
Reactions to Zhu Xi Neo-Confucian Metaphysics
Kyoto Reforms — Dutch Learning
Rangaku
the promotion of rangaku was in-line with the promotion of practical learning.
Fields of Medicine, geometry, cartography, astronomy, botany, geography, agricultural science
every domain had in their employment at least one scholar in
that field
Nagasaki Translators – importance of translation
Creation of Different “Worlds”
Thinking about “Cultural difference”
Neo-Confucian Learning — Yamaga Sokō
Argued for practical ethics for everyday living instead of
metaphysical one based on principle
“Nationalist” – claiming the superiority of Japanese
culture
Technically not a part of “Ancient learning” kogaku
Neo-Confucian Learning — Nakae Tōju
Tōju’s early education as a young retainer was that of Zhu Xi Neo-Confucianism but he eventually
questioned the duality of principle/material force and its prescriptive dimension
Argued for focusing on the mind-heart ⼼ (shin; kokoro) and that “man should act according to the
dictates of his mind or “intuition”.”
Was practicing in the countryside — attempted to focus on a practical form of Neo-Confucianism
Follows Wang Yangming who stressed that man had the inherent/intuitive capacity to act morally.
Emphasized the bodily internalization of Confucian tenets such as filial piety.
Kokugaku
Definition: the group of historical intellectual endeavors that sought to rediscover the pristine world
of Japanese antiquity through philological inquiry
Important Figures: Kamo no Mabuchi, Motoori Norinaga, Hirata Atsutane
Most appropriated movement during the expansionist/imperialist period of modern Japan
Many kokugaku ideas/tenets continue into the present
Ancient Learning (Kogaku | Sorai)
Ogyū Sorai (1666-1728) – one of the most important figures in Tokugawa period intellectual history
Influence ranging from intellectual fields to medical/empirical ones
Advisor to Shogun Yoshimune
Essential in the decision of the trial of the 46 rōnin involved in the Akō Vendetta
Less attention on morality; more on legal/institutional controls
Focused on the governing aspect of Confucian tradition by attempting to return to the pristine moment of state consolidation in ancient China
Argued that reliable knowledge was to be located in history.
Famous dictum: “The ultimate form of scholarly knowledge is history.”
Argued for a systematic study of ancient language and colloquial Chinese speech.
Kokugaku (Nativist)-Kogaku (Sorai) Relationship
kokugaku took much of Sorai’s assumptions
Return to the Pristine “native” Way (Kokugaku) vs Return to the Way of the Ancient Sage Kings (Kogaku)
Before Foreign Influence (kokugaku) vs Before Neo-Confucianism (kogaku)
Emphasized learning waka, and the study of native classics from the Heian period (kokugaku) vs Emphasized the mimicking of Ancient Rituals, Music, Institutions (kogaku)
Emphasized Philological study (both)
Amaterasu as “original” creator (kokugaku) vs Sage Kings as “original” creators (kogaku)
Rectifying language as a way of getting back to that world (kokugaku) vs Translation as a way of getting back to that world (kogaku)
Social Structure is fixed – everyone are subjects of the Emperor (kokugaku) vs Social Structure is fixed – Sage Kings are kings, people are people (kogaku)
Kyoho Reforms (overview)
Named after the period (1716-1736)
One of the most important periods
of institutional change
Encouragement of Learning
Series of Reforms targeting the
Shogunate’s (and Samurai’s)
economic plight
The reforms tried to return control of the growing economy (as seen in the Genroku period) back to the hands of the Shogunate
Dealt with coinage, revaluation and controlling money-flow via the establishment of merchant guilds.
Series of “exceptions” made: supplying more rice in exchange for reducing sankin kōtai regulations.
Land Reclamations, Irrigation
and Flood control projects
Overall tax increase
