What is the notion of "well-being" in Japan?: ethical/comparative study on "Shojiki "

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13323
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Kogakkan University
• Principal Investigator: Bando Yosuke 皇學館大学, 文学部, 准教授 (90761205)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 正直 / 神道 / 誠 / 国学 / 他者 / 儒教

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Concerning Shojiki, the cardinal virtue of Shinto, each-opposing interpretations have been presented from both Shinto studies and the studies of Japanese ethical thoughts, and never reaches a fixed conclusion. This study elucidated some part of this Shojiki’s content, investigating Shinto materials and its relations of influence with Buddhism and Confucianism. It was the argument about “naoki kokoro (a straight-foward heart)” by Kamo no Mabuchi, one of the kokugaku scholars in the early modern period that was focused on in this study. Furthermore, the philosophical feature of Shinto and the peculiar notion of others shared by all Japanese thoughts were also given consideration and those results were internationally published.

Free Research Field

日本倫理思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神道の主要概念であり、きわめて一般にも著名なものでありながら、その思想的内実が十分に検討されてこなかった「正直」について、神道文献の精査と、この概念の形成・展開に多大な影響を与えた仏教および儒教との関係の調査を踏まえて、他者に際会した際の非日常的な緊張感としてその内実を明らかにした。さらにここに現れた他者観念が前近代の日本思想史の顕著な特徴をなす仏・聖人といった特権的人格、あるいは経典への「信」へと思想史的に展開してゆく過程も併せて明らかにした。