Seidan

work by Ogyū Sorai

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July 13, 2026

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The Seidan (meaning "Discourse on Government") is a significant work by the Japanese Confucian scholar Ogyū Sorai (1666–1728). Sorai was a leading figure of the Kogaku ("Ancient Learning") school, which advocated for a return to the original teachings of Confucius.12

In Seidan, Sorai emphasized the pragmatic application of Confucian principles to achieve social and political reform. He believed that a uniform and rational system of laws, derived from ancient wisdom, was essential for good governance. Sorai's work rejected the abstract metaphysical speculations prevalent in some neo-Confucian thought, focusing instead on the practical aspects of ethics and governance that promote social harmony.13

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Japan
Heterodox Confucian schools
In his work Seidan, for example, Sorai insisted that the main reason for the financial distress of the warrior class in both the bakufu and the domains was that warriors had moved to the cities, where they were at the mercy of a monetary economy. If they would…
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In his work Seidan, for example, Sorai insisted that the main reason for the financial distress of the warrior class in both the bakufu and the domains was that warriors had moved to the cities, where they were at the mercy of a monetary economy. If they would…
Read More