noun
Taoist; moralist
Refers to a person who studies or follows Taoism (Daoism), or more broadly a moral philosopher. The moralist sense is less common and may be encountered in historical or philosophical contexts.
彼は道学者として、老子の教えを研究している。
As a Taoist, he studies the teachings of Laozi.
その道学者は、倫理について深く考えて
The moralist thinks deeply about ethics.
道学 is the study of Taoism or moral philosophy; 道学者 is a scholar or follower of that study.
Compound of 道 (どう, 'way', 'Tao') + 学 (がく, 'study') + 者 (しゃ, 'person'). The term directly means 'person who studies the Way', referring to Taoist scholars or moral philosophers.