noun
neo-Confucianism (Zhu Xi school); Cheng-Zhu school
Refers specifically to the philosophical system developed by Zhu Xi and his predecessors, which became influential in East Asia. In Japanese contexts, it often denotes the orthodox Confucianism of the Edo period.
江戸時代、朱子学は幕府の正統な学問とされた。
During the Edo period, Zhu Xi's neo-Confucianism was regarded as the orthodox scholarship of the shogunate.
彼は朱子学の研究者として知られている。
He is known as a scholar of the Cheng-Zhu school.
From 朱子 (Shushi, 'Master Zhu', referring to Zhu Xi) + 学 (gaku, 'study, learning'). The term directly names the philosophical school founded on Zhu Xi's interpretations of Confucianism.