Modern Japanese Confucianism Study (1868-1945),

The purpose of the present dissertation is to disclose some aspects of the existent pattern, thought-character of the modern Japanese Confucianism from the post-Meiji time to the end of the second world-war, and its relationship to the history of contemporary thought by investigating the details of a case of particular figure in history. The modem Japanese Confucianism is a developing stage and form of independent significance which inherits and develops the traditional Coniucianism in a new era, especially that its various efforts of reinterpretation of the traditional Confucianism with reference to the western thought greatly enrich the content of the history of thought and Confucianism in that era; whether we statically regard it as a prerequisite and basic existence of the history of thought or dynamically as a undercurrent surging in the depths of the trend of thought, it is a important subject not to be ignored in the study of the history of thought.The present dissertation contains five chapters besides the introduction. Chapter One, Two and Three present our arguments in terms of the relationship between the Confucianism and the history of thought; Chapter Four and Five view from the angle of the pattern and character of the Confucianism itself.Chapter One discusses the relationship between the Japanese liberalism and the Confucianism of the case of Nakaechomin .Nakaechomin, so called "Eastern Rousseau", is one of the theoretical director of the liberalism and civil rights movement in the history of modem Japanese thought. We should find the original point and character of Nakaechomin's thought in "Tosanangaka School . By virtue of analyzing the Confucianism basis of Nakaechomin's liberalism thought and the relation between Confucianism and liberalism-civil rights in his thought, we think that it is not easy to distinguish the Confucianism from the liberalism in Nakaechomin's thought, as his conceptions such as "the freedom of mind" and "the freedom of moral" revealed. Therefore the gain and loss of oriental liberalism is a subject deserve deep investigating.Chapter Two discusses the historical and theoretical relationship between the modem Japanese Militarism and the Confucianism in terms of the case of Takadasinji . The Militarists either misuse the sources of the traditional Confucianism thought or pick up the dress of the traditional Confucianism thought. In a word, Confucianism in the Militarists merely became a tool for propagating aggression, advocating overbearing and prettifying the Militarism.Chapter Three has Ojimasukema as the example, analyzes the development of his thought from the conflict between the Confucianism and various western social thought trends including socialism and Marxism to the Confucianism as a home finally. Thus the actual possibility of conflict and fusion between some elements in western thought is revealed. He thought, as a instance, Marx's communist ideal can be fused with Confucian "Great Harmony " ideal in form by transforming its social basis from "Gesellschaft" to "Gemeinschaft".Chapter Four and Five discuss Hattoriunokichi andKanonaoki who are the founder of the two great academic school-the East (Tokyo) and the West (Kyoto)school-in the history of modem Japanese Confucianism respectively. By analyzing these twomen's thought, we can basically comprehend the existent pattern and fundamental character of modem Japanese Confucianism in academy. They shared much same experience, but their style of study differed from each other completely. Being graduated from the department of philosophy, Hattoriunokichi became a "disciple of Confucius" by a way of the western philosophy and his experience of Confucianism doctrine largely derived from practice. He interpreted his belief of "Confucius's teaching" and the modern significance of Confucianism ethics. He conscientiously connected his own scholarly attainments and belief with the practical requirement of contemporary society and historical trend, and therefore exercised wide influence on the thought-c...