Andō Shōeki

Andō Shōeki (安藤 昌益; 1703 – November 29, 1762) was a Japanese philosopher of the 18th century. He rejected much of the Buddhist and Confucian thinking prevailing in Edo period Japan. He also opposed feudalism in the political system. Shoeki never became a prominent philosopher, and throughout his life he had few followers compared to other beliefs in Japan.

Ideology

Ando Shoeki believed that recorded history was a deviation from the natural order of the world, and began with the advent of writing and the rise in power of specific groups, like government officials, priests, or scholars. These groups instituted laws, and began what Shoeki called the "World of Law". In Shoekian thought, the "World of Law" was flawed, unnatural, and unequal. He wanted all humans to have the same social status because Shoeki believed that all humans were, in reality, the same person, and it was impossible for one to truly be above another. It was also important for Shoeki that humans only produce and consume what was necessary, a state which he called the "Right Cultivation." Once every human was equal and had abandoned the "World of Law", Shoeki believed that mankind would finally enter the "Self-Acting World", a kind of paradise on Earth, although Shoeki believed that this would only be possible if the "Right Man", a messiah-like figure, arrived and fixed the world. Shoeki did not consider himself to be the "Right Man"; he was content to wait for him to arrive.