Shotoku Taishi and his seventeen-article constitution: on the reception of Confucian categories in political culture of ancient Japan

The making of Japan's own philosophical tradition started as a process of careful hybridization and transformation of philosophical teachings that came from China. This is evident, in particular, in one of the earliest philosophical works of Japan «The Seventeen-Article Constitution» of prince Shotoku (574-622), which can be considered the first philosopher of ancient Japan. The article opens with a description of Shotoku's activities. The author gives a brief overview of the motives that prompted him to write the constitution, analyzes the Chinese sources that influenced its content, and evaluates the significance of the document in the subsequent development of Japan. This is followed by a summary of each of the seventeen articles combined with the explanation of their meaning and practical application. The final part of the paper provides a general overview of the Confucian categories used in the document and suggests their hierarchical relationship, which is intertwined with the original Japanese vision of an ideal state. The author's version of document's translation with comments is published in the appendix.