『管子』輕重篇の成立

Abstract

In this article, I would like to examine the 16 sections of the famous Qingzhong-pian as an economic document and define the time and circumstances of its formation through a content analysis. The contents of this chapter shows its particular complications, as there are frequent repetitions, and as on the whole one may say that it was certainly not written by one person and at one time. Even though there seems ultimately to have been a single source for the present text, we must analyze it as a multilayered document originating in the source through intermediate stages. Seeing these 16 sections as such, one can divide them into three major parts. In addition one can define the authors of these sections as a group of Qingzhong school 軽重家 who were economical consultants. Comparing the traditional theory of the formation of this chapter with its extant contents, I have come to the conclusion that it was probably put together in the Han dynasty. In this connection I reached the conclusion that probably existed source such as Sima Qian 司馬遷 first understood. That is, in the period from Emperors Wen 文帝 and Jing 景帝 to the end of the reign of Emperor Wu 武帝 the Qingzhong school compiled the Qingzhong-pian. This corresponds perfectly with the tripartite division of the contents mentioned above. In summary, the various sections of the Qingzhong-pian extent today were probably compiled under the Han and is basically identical with the original source from the Warring States period. But the present text also reflects to some extent the economic situation of the Han period to the reign of Emperor Wu, in slight alteration of the contents.