ABSTRACT
OGYŪ SORAI (1666-1728): The eminent Japanese Confucian scholar and rival of Jinsai Itō, he rejected Chu Hsi’s doctrines on the grounds that they were too static. Phenomena are the fundamental mode of existence. Modifying Confucius’ tendency toward silence about supernatural beings, and contradicting the Analects, Ogyū wrote:
There is evidence that Confucius himself approved the existence of spiritual beings. So whoever denies spiritual beings does not believe in Confucius.
