"Master Sorai's Teachings" is a record of Sorai's teaching and his exchanges with his students. The text was edited by his own students and contained their questions followed by his answers. The work was not released until 1724, but it is thought to have actually been written around 1720. In it he writes that literature is not so much intended for instruction in morality or governance, rather it simply allows human's emotions to flow. From this, answers to the former topics may be found. While Sorai sought to redefine the sources of Tokugawa legitimacy, his purpose was clearly to strengthen the authority of the Tokugawa shogunate.