History Of Economic Thought And Related Ethics In Japan In The Past Twenty Years

Recently, in the process of China's economic development, various ethic problems concerned frequently arise, such as the widening wealth discrepancy, rising unemployment, difficulties in children's entering schools and in medical care, environmental problems, the uncoordinated regional economic development, the ageing populations, etc. In March,2011, the Twelfth Five-Year Plan has been issued by the Central Government where the solutions of the above-mentioned issues would be put on the agenda. That is to say, attention would again be attached to problems related to economic ethics, and the balance of economy and ethics is of great urgency to China during its stage of economic transition.Geographically, China and Japan are located in the East Asian cultural circle. From the perspective of economic development process, both of them have undergone the phases of restraining commerce, undervaluing commerce and valuing commerce. Viewed from the modern economic development mode, both China and Japan fall into the category of post-modernization countries. According to modernization guidelines, Chinese Westernization Movement advocated "Chinese Ideology and Western Technology", resembling greatly "Japanese Spirit and Western Civilization" put forward by its Japanese counterpart around Meiji Restoration. In the modern time, high technology and cheap labor costs had promoted the large quantities of exports of domestic products in the two countries, where large balance of payments surplus had been created and the two economies had undergone rapid development. Downturn has been brought about by the bursting of the bubble economy in the1990s, however, Japanese economy has still maintained its growth trend. Since the two countries hold something in common and the similar time lag in their economic development, it is of profound significance to analyze the economic thought and related ethics in Japan during the last twenty years, summarizing the experience and lessons within so as to boost the economic development in China.A brief research survey of the Japanese economic thought and related ethics home and abroad has been provided firstly in the dissertation where a historic view of its development after WWI? has been conducted, studying the historical background, ideological origins and theoretical basis of the emergence of Japan's economic thought and related ethics in the past twenty years and analyzing the development and current conditions of Japanese economic ethics of libertarianism, egalitarianism and Marxism. Viewpoints of thought of economic ethics have been studied and highlighted of Susumu Morimura and Yuko Hashimoto, the representatives of libertarianism, Akiro Takeuchi and Shinya Tateiwa, the leading scholars of egalitarianism, and Akira Matsui and Hitoshi Imamura, the representative Marxism scholars, which serves as sufficient foundation for the further investigation of the characteristics and the reasons of Japan's economic thought and related ethics in the past twenty years.An introduction of thought of economic ethics of several schools may fail to reflect the features of that of every school in Japan. Therefore, the dissertation attempts to provide a multi-faceted perspective with multiple angles by means of a synchronic comparison of various schools in Japan and a diachronic contrast of that with western countries. It sums up the righteousness of "self-ownership", exchange, and allocation, the three focuses, coming to the theoretical values and practical significance of the Japanese thought of economic ethics with multi-angled analysis, further generalizing the features and limitations of Japan's economic ethic thought in the aspects of demonstration methods, ideological content and diversified viewpoints, and explaining the reasons of its limits from the current economic conditions, traditions and cultural roots.Last but not least, combined with the current condition of China, it can be found that the Japanese thought of economic ethics is of enlightening significance to the development of social economy in China. That is to say, the enormous influence of economic ethics cannot be neglected with the social development. Furthermore, the establishment of righteousness should conform to the current condition of China. Moreover, a complete social security system should be established to safeguard the basic rights and well being of citizens. Finally, the prospect of equal opportunity depends on equal capability.