秦漢時代における博士制度の展開 : 五經博士の設置をめぐる疑義再論

Abstract

According to widely accepted scholarly opinion, the Wujing-boshi (Erudites of the Five Classics) system was established in the fifth year of Jianyuan 建元 (136 B.C.) under the reign of Emperor Wu of the Former Han dynasty (206 B.C.-8 A.D.). However, there is no record whatsoever of this system in the Shiji 史記, and the Hanshu 漢書 itself does not indicate which books the appellation of "Five Classics" refers, nor does it state the names of those appointed to these five posts. In this article, I attempt to deal with these questions by tracing the development of the Boshi system from the pre-Qin period through the latter half of the Former Han. I gather and examine on an individual basis the names of those men nominated as Erudites of the Five classics during this period. I argue that it was not under the reign of Emperor Wu but rather under that of Emperor Xuan 宣帝 that the existence of such nominees can actually be confirmed from the extant historical documents. After analyzing the term "Five Classics" and the text of the Hanshu, I conclude that this famous system was not established by Emperor Wu but rather was a later creation erroneously attributed to Emperor Wu by the Hanshu.