A new perspective on the positive philosophy through a reexamination of the "Philosophy" of Nishi Amane

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02140
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Hosei University
• Principal Investigator: Abiko Shin 法政大学, 文学部, 教授 (70212537)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 西周 / 哲学 / 実証哲学 / オーギュスト・コント / 社会学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Amane Nishi's work, which originally introduced Western philosophy into Japan while inventing the word "philosophy" itself, depends on what he meant in "philosophy". Nishi accepted the positive philosophy in vogue at that time, especially Auguste Comte's positive philosophy that he met and learned in the Netherlands, and tried to introduce "philosophy" in the meaning of Comte to Japan. That is, it was not a metaphysical philosophy, but an empirical philosophy that was itself a science. Moreover, at that time, Nishi tried to be more positive than Comte, and sought a place to scientifically unify various sciences not in the sociology created by Comte himself, but in physiology and psychology. The most important result of this research is the elucidation of such an overall picture of the "philosophy" created by Nishi.

Free Research Field

哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「哲学」という語を作り、まさにその名によって、西洋哲学を日本に始めて導入した西周の哲学の仕事の意味を、彼が依拠したコント哲学との徹底的な比較研究を通して、とくにコントに従った面と、コントに従わなかった面の二面で、明らかにした。西周が構想し手がけた哲学は文字通りの実証哲学であって、日本の哲学がまさにここを出発点としてその後の歩みを行っていれば、哲学の日本における位置も役割も、かなり違ったものになったはずなのである。