noun
irresponsible political criticism by private citizens
A classical expression referring to outspoken, often reckless, criticism of government affairs by scholars or private individuals who hold no official position. Rare in modern usage; encountered mainly in historical or literary texts.
「処士横議」は、昔の書物で在野の学者が政治を批判する様子を表す言葉だ。
"Shoshi ōgi" is a term found in old texts that describes scholars outside the government criticizing politics.
A yojijukugo (four-character idiom) of Chinese origin. 処士 (shoshi) means a scholar without official rank, and 横議 (ōgi) means reckless or outspoken argument. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase appears in classical Chinese and Japanese texts.