| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
Fiscal Year 1996: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000)
Fiscal Year 1994: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
This philosophical and historical research has tried to clarify Locke's theory of 'liberty of action' and his theory of 'liberty of conscience', and sought to indicate where, if any, a link lies between the two theories. The first theory is known to be obscurely formulated in his Essay concerning Human Understanding, and the second has recently been a subject of interpretive controversy. First, an attempt has been made to compare five different editions of the Essay and probe into the Locke-van Limborch correspondence, in order to settle his shifting views on free will and free action. Efforts have also been made to show connections between the liberty of action and the liberty of individuals in political society. Secondly, a separate attempt has been made to clarify and examine the arguments for the liberty of conscience presented in his toleration writings, especially in his Epistola. This has required a close reading of the Latin text, and led to a critical examination of the recent interpretations provided by such scholars as Waldron, Wootton, and Marshall. Thirdly, on the basis of the work done on the two problems, I have shown that it is possible to see 'the understanding' as playing a prominent role in providing the basis for both theories, although the liberty of action and the libery of conscience are quite distinct in nature and take place in two distinct realms. Fourthly, as a part of this research project, I embarked on a Japanese translation of Locke's work, 'Of the Conduct of the Understanding'. About three quaters of the entire work have already been translated and annotated. They have been printed in the Journal of Language and Culture published by Chubu University Women's College, nos. 6-8 (1995-7), and the translation of the rest of the work will be presented in the same journal, no. 9 (1998). Also, a part of the results of this research on the two liberties will be incorporated into my forthcoming book, Locke's Political Philosophy of Freedom.
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