1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Study on the idea of "Shin-Butsu" in Medieval Japan from a a viewpoint of ethical tradition
| Project/Area Number |
08610038
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
倫理学
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| Research Institution | Kanda university of international studies |
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Principal Investigator |
KUBOTA Komei Kanda university of international studies, faculty of foreign languages, professor, 外国語学部, 教授 (80195502)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1996 – 1998
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| Keywords | shinto / medieval age in Japan / shugendo / iseshinto / religious sect |
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| Research Abstract |
In the term of this research I read articles that were published recently on Shinto in Medieval ages in Japan. And I had to recognize a fact over again. Most studies treat each thinker or book as an independent affair, neglecting to find its position in the history. Certainly variety of subjects and themes get increased, but we can achieve neither whole image nor core of ideas in Medieval Japan yet. The reason is that they did not pay adequate attention to methods or viewpoints that is needed as the base of study. Of course this is very difficult task which need complicated processes, and without such a sort of effort each research can be realized in a limited range separating each target as an independent object. But after some period this defect of method resulted in a situation where scholars lost common understandings of goal or method in the area.
What should we do to overcome this difficulty? Previously they classified religious affairs in Japan by the sects that were formally made in 17th century. Most of recent studies of Shinto and some of Buddhism tried to detach themselves from this fictive classification. Instead they put focus on common characters and mutual influence in sects of Shinto and Buddhism. New trend of study attached greater importance to common character in Kami and Hotoke. Though it took away old misunderstanding, it did not make sufficient effort to propose the alternative theory of religion and moral in Japan. So we should create new ideas that can provide basis on which a new history of thoughts can be described. We should not grasp subjects separately in areas as religion, moral, politics and society, but inquire into ethical ideas as basic understanding of the life. To describe a new history we should put more energy into the problem of theory and method.
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Research Products
(4 results)
