Yokoi Shōnan and Yangming Philosophy: A Clarification of Misunderstandings

In modern Japanese academia, the view has been proposed that Yokoi Shōnan “gained insights from Wang Yangming’s teachings and promoted practical learning 有得于王学而兴实学”, suggesting that his ideas on practical learning were influenced by Yangmingism. However, proponents of this theory have not provided strong evidence to prove a connection between Yokoi Shōnan’s practical thought and Yangmingism. From Yokoi Shōnan’s writings, his attitude toward Yangmingism was largely critical. In fact, the formation of Yokoi Shōnan’s ideas on practical thought underwent a rather complex process, shaped by his experiences with domain school reforms, interactions with various Japanese intellectuals during his period of study abroad, his understanding of Western culture, and discussions in practical learning study groups. Therefore, attributing his inclination toward practical thought solely to the influence of a single ideology would be overly simplistic.