<論説>漢初における長者 : 『史記』にあらわれた理想的人間像

Abstract

諸侯王・列侯の権勢の強い漢初にあっては、自由放任を唱える黄老術がかれらの支持を受け、優勢を誇った。さらに当時においては、いわゆる任俠が社会全般にわたって顕著な活躍を見せ、仁・義・信など人格を媒介として直接的に結合する任俠的関係が重視された。重厚と自尊とをモットーとする「長者」は黄老術と任俠的結合を体現するものとして、当時の人々によって追求され、理想とされた人間像である。黄老術は武帝の治世に至ってしだいに儒術に圧倒され、没落を余儀なくされた。司馬談・司馬遷父子は、この時期にあって、長者が自由放任を謳歌した漢初を追憶しつつ『史記』を編纂したのである。

In the early Han Period when several kings and lords had been powerful, the Huang-lao-shu 黄老術 which had insisted on the principle of laisser-faire had been supported by them and had enjoyed its predominance. Moreover, in that period, so called Jên-hsia 任俠 had showed conspicious activities in the whole society and the Jên-hsia relationship through the medium of Jên 仁, Yi 義 and Hsin 信 had been respected. The Ch'ang-chê who had made it his principle to be solemn and selfrespectful had been produced as an idealistic type of man who had embodied the Huang-lao-shu and the Jên-hsia relationship but in the reign of Wu-ti 武帝, the Huang-lao-shu was gradually surpassed by the Ju-shu 儒術 and compelled to be ruined. In this time, Ssuma t'an 司馬談 and his son Ssumach'ien 司馬遷, retrospecting the early Han Period when the Ch'ang-chê had eulogized the principle of laisser-faire, edited the Shih-chi.