In addition, around 1726 a political reform theory, 'Discourse on Government' (Seidan) was submitted to Yoshimune by Sorai OGYU, who criticized the doctrines of Zhu Xi, saying that 'the doctrines of Zhu Xi was only a delusional theory based on speculations,' and this book not only demonstrated Sorai's political philosophy concretely but stood out as an epoch-making work in Japanese history of thought which promote the separation of politics from religious morals.
なお、「朱子学は憶測にもとづく虚妄の説にすぎない」と朱子学批判をおこなった荻生徂徠が頃に吉宗に提出した政治改革論『政談』には、徂徠の政治思想が具体的に示されており、これは日本思想史のなかで政治と宗教道徳の分離を推し進める画期的な著作でもあった。