Chapter Istruire le masse: sul mabiki negli scritti dei kokugakusha

Abstract

This article delves into the issue of mabiki (infanticide) in the late Edo period by analysing three texts authored by prominent scholars belonging to a circle of philologists and historians known as kokugakusha. During the first two centuries of the Edo period, mabiki and abortion were generally tolerated. However, as authorities began to recognise that these practices resulted in an unregulated depletion of valuable labour in the fields, they sought solutions that involved the active engagement of kokugakusha in propagating efforts to discourage these detrimental practices. This article sheds light on this historical context and the role of kokugakusha in addressing the problem of mabiki.