In the intellectual history of East Asian Confucian discourse on humanity there have been two major peaks. The first is Confucius' statement that "to be humane is to overcome one's self and return to ritual propriety" (keji fuli weiren 克己復禮為仁), which established a basis for the relationship of insepa- rability between humanity (ren 仁) and ritual propriety (li 禮), as well as for the mutual tensions which exist between them.
The very same statement also initiated the subsequent discourses and polemics on humanity that ensued among Confucian scholars of China, Japan and Korea. The second peak is represented by the monumental work "Treatise on Humanity" (Renshuo 仁説), written during the Southern Song dynasty by the renowned Confucian scholar Zhu Xi (朱熹, Huian 晦庵, 1130-1200).
In this article, we will explore and discuss the Tokugawa (1603-1868) Japanese Confucians' response to Zhu Xi's "Treatise on Humanity."