1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Modernization of Japanese Society and Religious Ethics.
| Project/Area Number |
07301021
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 総合 |
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| Research Field |
社会学(含社会福祉関係)
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Woman's Christian University |
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Principal Investigator |
KAWAMURA Nozomu Tokyo Woman's Christian Univ.Dept.of Sociology, Professor., 文理学部, 教授 (60086923)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
IIJIMA Nobuko Tokyo Metropolitan University, Dept.of Sociology, Professor, 人文学部, 教授 (20010019)
KONDO Toshio Bukkyo University, Dept.of Sociology, Lecturer (full-time), 社会学部, 専任講師 (70225621)
SAKOTA Kosaku Aichi University Junior College, Dept.of Sociology, Associate Prof., 短期大学部, 助教授 (30211270)
TERADA Ryoichi Tsuru Liberal Arts College, Dept.of Sociology, Professor., 文学部, 教授 (00163923)
WATANABE Yoshio Tokyo Metropolitan University, Dept.of Sociology, Professor., 人文学部, 教授 (90103209)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1995 – 1996
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| Keywords | modernization / Westernization / Protestantism / Buddhism / Confucianism / capitalism / indivictualism / groupism |
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| Research Abstract |
Since Max Weber demonstrated in his The Protestantism Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism that modern rational capitalism had been only passible together with the Protestant ethic, most scholars of modern Japanese studies believe that modernization of Japanese Society is nothing but Westernization. Culture and religion which are indigenous to Japanese Socity are irrelevent to modernization or rationalization
On the other hand, on American sociologist on religion, Robert Bellah pointed out in his Tokugawa Religion (1957) that Jodo Shinshu is the closest Japanese analogue to Western Protestantism and its ethic is most similar to the Protestant ethic. According to him, Japanese modernization did not originote in the late nineteenth century Meiji era but began at least as early as the eighteenth century Edo era. But this view has been neglected as extreme of absurdity by Japanese.Social scientist like Masao Maruyama.
Bellah said that Japanese religious ethic of Buddhism, Confucianism and Shinto functioned to exalt loyalty to the group. Thus achievement of collective goal was realized, Development of capitalism was only possible by such collective spirit. Bellah's book was published before a miracle of high economic growth happened. The events of the last forty years would seem to prove Bellah right.
However, Bellah pointed out on the other hand that Japanese society would seem to be especially in hospitable to ethical universalism. According to him, the "competitive groupism" constimulate self-sacrifice and devotion, but the end of such ethical action seldom transcend the interests of one's group. So, he asked whether the results of rapideconomic growth, which the Japanese tradition and its modern permutations have so assidnously fostered, have not begun to under mind the very conditions that made that growth possible. This study is anasirer to that question.
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