| Research Abstract |
In this research we intend to elucidate the regional development of the scholastic mantle of the "Eclectic School" (secchu gaku 折衷学) and the "Positivistic School" (kosho gaku 考証学) in the later part of the Early Modern Period. Simultaneously we envisage examining, from the perspective of Intellectual History, the accessibility and meaning of reception of that which was the basis for that scholarship : the book. In the beginning of this research, between the years of 2002-2004, we dealt mainly with scholars who inhabited an area which is, in the present, adjacent to the City of Fukushima. This particular area was the stage in which scholars like Kumasaka Taishu (熊阪台州), a member of Sorai's School who also nurtured a strong interest in the Positivistic School, Ono Ryuan (小野隆庵), the "Eclectic Doctor" and Uchiike Nagatoshi (内池永年), a National Learning Scholar who was unique in ascertaining Historical evidence, were active. The scholarly enterprise of inquiry that undertook a comparison and co
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ntemplation of the works of such men greatly affected the "regional" scholastic and intellectual environment.
The research performed in 2005 consisted in : 1) continuing the survey started at the Town of Koori (Date County, Fukushima Prefecture) in 2004, and developing a basic survey about the scholarly conditions of the Village of Ina (South Aizu County, Fukushima Prefecture) ; 2) performing an analysis of the accessibility to all the sources and materials in question ; 3) In order to understand the development of the "Eclectic School" and of the "Positivistic School" in other regions, we became familiar with the verification and conservation of Historical documents regarding culture and scholarship as being conducted at the City of Takayama (Gifu Prefecture) and at the town of Iwadeyama (Tamatsukuri County, Miyagi Prefecture) ; 4) In relation to the survey of materials, we visited the places that provided us with our sources and, after a preliminary reading, we reproduced the documents, putting them in order for further analysis. We also visited several libraries and public archives such as the Fukushima Prefectural Library, the Fukushima Prefectural Archives, the Ina Village Historical Archives, the Miyagi Prefectural Library, the Historical Museum of Takayama City and the Tokyo Metropolitan Library.
Through the survey process, with the composite intersecting of both the "Eclectic School" along with the "Positivistic School" and the pre-existent "Sorai School", "Neo-Confucianism", "National Learning" and "Literature", such as the haikai (俳諧) and the kyoka (狂歌), it became clear that in many of the regions in question, the undergoing development contained a deviation which called for the expression of regional characteristic. Still, from the research we have been conducting from last year, it became clear that especially in the Domains of Local Magistrates, there existed a lively scholarship, based on a strong tendency towards ascertaining Historical evidence. Once again it became clear that in order to clarify our object it is necessary to conduct a pluralistic survey of the regional intellectual environment. Less
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