A Study on New Moral and Vegetarianism in Contemporary Asia

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20684
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 1:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Nagatani Chiyoko 九州大学, 比較社会文化研究院, 准教授 (20450207)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 菜食主義 / 仏教 / 中国 / 日本 / 台湾

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to examine the spread of vegetarian practices in contemporary Asia, the influence of traditional thought underlying this trend, the potential for the emergence of universal moral principles, and the possibility of their transformative effects on society. Regarding the spread of vegetarian practices and the underlying philosophical influences, primarily through literature and discourse analysis, we traced the evolution from ancient times to the present. Particularly since the 1990s, we confirmed the influence of environmental conservation and animal welfare ideologies, forming the background of veganism in the West, as well as the impact of several Buddhist groups in Taiwan. As for future trends, it became evident that there is a strong inclination towards reconciling the desire for delicious food with vegetarian practices, rather than abstaining from meat consumption solely for environmental or animal welfare reasons.

Free Research Field

文化人類学　宗教研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本では菜食主義自体が学術的にまとまった形で論じられること自体が少なく、特にその東洋的伝統の概要をまとめたことに基礎研究的な意義があると考える。さらに世俗社会に対する宗教の影響力を菜食実践の広まりという具体例に基づいて実証的に論じることにおいても、先駆的な役割を果たせたと思う。食の問題は健康・食糧危機・農業および畜産業などさまざまな方面で重視されている問題であり、それを倫理・宗教・道徳といった観点で論じることで、社会におけるこの問題の議論に長期的視野と一つの方向性を示すことができる点に意義があると考える。