Hosoi Heishu
Encyclopedia
Hosoi Heishu was a Japanese teacher of Confucian thought
during the Edo Period
. He belonged to the eclectic school of Confucian philosophy, and his thought can be considered as the starting point of the eclectic brand of Confucianism
.
to a wealthy scholar family who later gave up their status to become farmers, Hosoi spent the first nine years of his life there as a student in a local temple. On becoming the top student, he was sent to Kyoto
and Nagoya at age 17 where he studied under Nakanishi Tanen. It was during this time that Hosoi gained an education in the Chinese classics and when he was a young adult, he began giving lectures to daimyo
and commoners. After being taught in Nagoya, Hosoi moved to Nagasaki
, where he would remain for three years until he was forced to return home to take care of his ailing mother. After doing so, Hosoi moved back to Nagoya, where he opened up a school, but after a short time he decided to close the school down so that he could relocate to Edo
in an effort to reestablish relations with his former teacher. In 1780, Hosoi was able to secure a position as a teacher in Owari
, where he occupied areas of land to be used as places where he could give his lecutres and educate the local people.
existent at the time. His philosophy emphasized practicality, independence of thought, and bringing the teachings of Confucius
to the general population. He believed that the scholars of the other schools made the teachings too complicated and disliked any kind of speculative thought. The practical emphasis of his teachings, along his focus on the economic conditions of the common person won him many disciples, who gave him the name of Living Buddha. One of these disciples, Uesugi Yozan, would become famous as a model daimyo
, using Hosoi as an advisor during his reform programs.
According to Hosoi's philosophy
, there is an internal sincere purity within everyone as well as in the natural world. This purity, which he called makoto, was the basis for all ethical action
. This purity is corrupted when a person enters into the world and lives their life on Earth
. In order for harmony, peace, and understanding to come about among humanity, a person had to keep their makoto pure. The concept of makoto originated within the Shinto tradition, and throughout his philosophical writings and lectures, Hosoi draws extensively from Shinto beliefs.
, a famous Confucianist of the Zhu Xi school
. According to Hosoi's view, when a woman is in her childhood
, the parents should refrain from spoiling her in order to keep her
from developing a love of luxury, as well as being unable to adjust to the hardships of the married life. When the woman becomes an adult, she should become married and become a model of endurance, taking on abuse while caring for the mother-in-law and family.
of the Yonezawa Domain
were greatly influenced by Hosoi's teachings, particularly during the reign of Uesugi Yozan, a daimyo
who had been tutored by Hosoi since his youth. Hosoi lectured Yozan & other students on his conception of Confucian politics, and what proper statescraft was. For Hosoi, the daimyo
was seen as a servant of Heaven, and that a faithful servant:
The success of the Yonezawa Domain
in administration and economic reform was largely seen as a result of Hosoi's influence and Uesugi's dedication and diligence in following plans and ruling by the maxims of "To have no waste places in his domain" and "To have no idlers among his people." There was extensive land reclamation, agricultural training for all classes, and the development of a silk & lacquer industry . However, despite the success of the reforms, it is important to note that in Hosoi's political philosophy
, loyal service is essential, and part of this loyal service is exalting one's superior. A ruler who was not infallible had to be protected by a virtuous person who was in his service. Hosoi believed that by concealing the ruler's mistakes and decadence, the people would not become corrupt and thus have a moral example that they could admire. As a result of this, Uesugi Yozan is traditionally revered throughout Japanese history as a ruler who was full of virtue and wise.
that involved teaching students collective thought. His beliefs in education can be seen in a letter he wrote to the Lord Of Yonezawa:
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
during the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. He belonged to the eclectic school of Confucian philosophy, and his thought can be considered as the starting point of the eclectic brand of Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
.
Life
Born in Hirashima Village, Owari ProvinceOwari Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....
to a wealthy scholar family who later gave up their status to become farmers, Hosoi spent the first nine years of his life there as a student in a local temple. On becoming the top student, he was sent to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
and Nagoya at age 17 where he studied under Nakanishi Tanen. It was during this time that Hosoi gained an education in the Chinese classics and when he was a young adult, he began giving lectures to daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
and commoners. After being taught in Nagoya, Hosoi moved to Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
, where he would remain for three years until he was forced to return home to take care of his ailing mother. After doing so, Hosoi moved back to Nagoya, where he opened up a school, but after a short time he decided to close the school down so that he could relocate to Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
in an effort to reestablish relations with his former teacher. In 1780, Hosoi was able to secure a position as a teacher in Owari
Owari
Owari may refer to:* Owari Province* Owari Domain* Owari, more commonly spelled oware, a game* Owari Mandarin orange, a form of citrus fruit...
, where he occupied areas of land to be used as places where he could give his lecutres and educate the local people.
Philosophy & Thought
Hosoi's thought was a mixture of lessons from all the schools of ConfucianismConfucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
existent at the time. His philosophy emphasized practicality, independence of thought, and bringing the teachings of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
to the general population. He believed that the scholars of the other schools made the teachings too complicated and disliked any kind of speculative thought. The practical emphasis of his teachings, along his focus on the economic conditions of the common person won him many disciples, who gave him the name of Living Buddha. One of these disciples, Uesugi Yozan, would become famous as a model daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
, using Hosoi as an advisor during his reform programs.
According to Hosoi's philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, there is an internal sincere purity within everyone as well as in the natural world. This purity, which he called makoto, was the basis for all ethical action
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
. This purity is corrupted when a person enters into the world and lives their life on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. In order for harmony, peace, and understanding to come about among humanity, a person had to keep their makoto pure. The concept of makoto originated within the Shinto tradition, and throughout his philosophical writings and lectures, Hosoi draws extensively from Shinto beliefs.
Views on women
Hosoi's view of women is similar to most Confucianist of the era, and his views can be said to closely resemble the perspective found in a work entitled Greater Learning For Women, which was written by Kaibara EkkenKaibara Ekken
or Ekiken, also known as Atsunobu was a Japanese Neo-Confucianist philosopher and botanist.Kaibara was born into a family of advisors to the daimyo of Fukuoka Domain in Chikuzen Province . He accompanied his father to Edo in 1648, and was sent in 1649 to Nagasaki to study Western science...
, a famous Confucianist of the Zhu Xi school
Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism is an ethical and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Ao in the Tang Dynasty....
. According to Hosoi's view, when a woman is in her childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
, the parents should refrain from spoiling her in order to keep her
from developing a love of luxury, as well as being unable to adjust to the hardships of the married life. When the woman becomes an adult, she should become married and become a model of endurance, taking on abuse while caring for the mother-in-law and family.
Political Work
The politicsPolitics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of the Yonezawa Domain
Yonezawa Domain
Yonezawa Domain was a feudal domain of Tokugawa Japan, controlled by daimyō of the Uesugi clan. Covering the Okitama district of Dewa province, in what is today southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, the territory was ruled from Yonezawa castle in Yonezawa city...
were greatly influenced by Hosoi's teachings, particularly during the reign of Uesugi Yozan, a daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
who had been tutored by Hosoi since his youth. Hosoi lectured Yozan & other students on his conception of Confucian politics, and what proper statescraft was. For Hosoi, the daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
was seen as a servant of Heaven, and that a faithful servant:
The success of the Yonezawa Domain
Yonezawa Domain
Yonezawa Domain was a feudal domain of Tokugawa Japan, controlled by daimyō of the Uesugi clan. Covering the Okitama district of Dewa province, in what is today southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, the territory was ruled from Yonezawa castle in Yonezawa city...
in administration and economic reform was largely seen as a result of Hosoi's influence and Uesugi's dedication and diligence in following plans and ruling by the maxims of "To have no waste places in his domain" and "To have no idlers among his people." There was extensive land reclamation, agricultural training for all classes, and the development of a silk & lacquer industry . However, despite the success of the reforms, it is important to note that in Hosoi's political philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
, loyal service is essential, and part of this loyal service is exalting one's superior. A ruler who was not infallible had to be protected by a virtuous person who was in his service. Hosoi believed that by concealing the ruler's mistakes and decadence, the people would not become corrupt and thus have a moral example that they could admire. As a result of this, Uesugi Yozan is traditionally revered throughout Japanese history as a ruler who was full of virtue and wise.
Educator
As an educator, Hosoi placed emphasis on the individuality of each student present, and disliked educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
that involved teaching students collective thought. His beliefs in education can be seen in a letter he wrote to the Lord Of Yonezawa: