Historical Studies on 'Responsibility for Colonialism' in Modern Britain

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03138
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Europe and America
• Research Institution: Soka University
• Principal Investigator: Maekawa Ichiro 創価大学, 国際教養学部, 教授 (10401431)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 植民地責任 / 歴史認識 / 歴史教科書

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study argues that the reality of international politics today raises questions and debates based on memories of colonialism. By taking the British case, I consider the question of why the British government has yet to come to terms with its colonial past from a historical perspective. Given the enormity of this question and the number of relevant historical issues, I have to limit my discussion to only a few specific matters. Thus, in order to provide a historical background of the relative indifference of the former colonising states in regard to their colonial past, I present three points for further discussion: (1) the selective thinking regarding the colonial past, (2) Western civilisation’s belief present in the British society and (3) the judicial practice that could determine and administer the ‘responsibility for colonialism’ today.

Free Research Field

植民地主義史、帝国主義史、帝国史、イギリス近現代史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究には、イギリスの歴史認識と「植民地支配責任」の問題を実証的に検討するイギリス現代史研究としての意義がある。しかし、歴史教科書を素材に歴史認識の国際比較を志向している点に、より大きな学術的意義と社会的意義とがあると考えている。とりわけ、植民地主義下の個別の残虐行為と、植民地主義全体の不正義とを切り離してとらえるイギリスの「二重思考」をめぐる議論は、今後に研究に対して重要な問題提起となろう。