Research on the Shogunate Confucians' Position in the Intellectual History of the Late 18^<th> Century

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In this research, I gave consideration to the works of the shogunate Confucians of the late 18th century, especially their educational policy as reported to the shogunate and their philosophy on which other researchers have shed little light. Two points made clear by my research are as follows :1. The shogunate Confucians, such as Hayashi Jussai, Bitoh Jishu, and Satoh Issai, thought that the continuity of the Emperor's lineage depended not on the Japanese people's fidelity to him, but on his traditional role of handing down Japanese culture.This view was quite different from the one of the Late Mito School.2. The shogunate Confucians were engaged in creating policies on education, promotion and censorship in the Kyoho, the Kansei, and the Tenpo Reforms. In their censorship after the Tenpo era, they agreed to publish books that had previously been prohibited. They thought it important for public speech and writing to be open to everyone.Previous scholarship has paid attention to the shogunate Confucians' conservative attitude in supporting the feudal system. However, my research proves that their censorship policies were not narrow-minded more than previously believed.More careful research will be needed into their achievements in educational policies along with their other works.