董仲舒における歴史意識の問題

Abstract

During the Wu Ti 武帝 reign of Han 漢, the despotism of the Former Han 前漢 Dynasty became firmly established and, in addition, Confucianism, combined with political power, achieved political orthodoxy. Tung Chung-shu was a representative Confucian thinker of his day; specifically, as an authority of the Ch'un-ch'iu Kung-yang 春秋公羊 school and in light of the above-stated fact that Confucianism had at last been accorded a position of influence, he played a vital role. The purpose of this essay is to investigate the various issues surrounding his historical ideas. A vital factor in Tung Chung-shu's ideas of history is his cyclic theory, specifically, the so-called "San-t'ung (San-chêng) Shuo" 三統 (三正) 説 or the "Theory of Three Systems". This theory focuses on the concept of a dynastic cycle in which each dynasty held one of three periodic types (known by the three colors black, white and red). Herein, upon the establishment of a new dynasty, this system could be offered as evidence that the new dynasty held the mandate of heaven. This thinking rests on the framework of the cyclic theory. In connection with this he also thought of history as a dynastic cycle in which each dynasty possessed one of three characteristics : Chung 忠 "faithfulness", Ching 敬 "piety", or Wen 文 "refinement". Tung Chung-shu's cyclic theories resemble those of other thinkers of his time, the fundamental characteristics of which reside in the conception of history, without regard to qualitative changes and development, as essentially repetitive and in the justification of despotism through the dimensions of history. Another vital factor in Tung Chung-shu's ideas of history is his exaltation of antiquity. In other words, a belief in respect for the era of the ancient sage kings (such as Yao 堯 and Shun 舜) as representing the ideal. This thinking regards the various values (social, political, ethical and so on) as eternal and absolute. It holds that these values have continued to exist from the time of the sage kings (when all were realized in their completeness) to the present. It should be pointed out that the exaltation of antiquity, having much in common with the thought of other thinkers of Tung Chung-shu's day, is fundamentally similar to the cyclic theory in that despotism is represented in the conception of history. For Tung Chung-shu, the two cyclic theories, the Theory of Three Systems and the theory of Chung, Ching and Wen, while existing separately, are interrelated and, in addition, along with the theory of the exaltation of antiquity, are mutually cooperative. In contrast to the idealization of ancient times, one might be lead to assume that modern times would be negatively criticized, but in fact this is restrained in the cyclic theory. In both the cyclic theory and in the exaltation of antiquity, history is seen as immutable and eternally continuing; moreover, both see history as possessing the quality of repeatibility. Both theories, expressed paradoxically, could be called "superhistorical" (that is, transcending history) conceptions of history, and therein, the subjective identities of those who examined history itself, are non-existent. This, insofar as there is such a thing, conformed to the despotism of the Former Han Dynasty. The Former Han Kung-yang school of which Tung Chungshu was representative, reinterpreted the thought of the "Ch'un-ch'iu Kung-yang Chuan" 春秋公羊伝 as well as supporting the actual state system and the values thereof.