Exploring Eastern Philosophies: 19th Century American Women Writers' Engagement

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21967
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0102:Literature, linguistics, and related fields
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: UCHIBORI Naoko 日本大学, 危機管理学部, 准教授 (30632294)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: Elizabeth Palmer Peabody / 米文学 / 東洋思想 / 超絶主義 / トランスナショナル / 19世紀米国女性 / Unitarian Universalist

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examines the relationship between the acceptance of Eastern thought in the United States and the gender problems by analyzing the writings of Elizabeth Palmer Peabody (1804-1894), the first 19th century American writer to translate Buddhism in the United States. The examinations revealed that Peabody's transnational and pluralistic thought was strongly influenced by the gender situation surrounding 19th century American women, whose social self-realization was highly restricted. Research results were presented at national academic conferences and public lectures to the community.

Free Research Field

米文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

米国作家における東洋思想の受容を、これまでほとんど研究されてこなかった女性の思想家を通して辿りなおす本研究は、アメリカ文学史・思想史の偏向を補填し、深化させ得る、学術的に意義のあるものと考えられる。さらに、ピーボディのトランスナショナルな思想と多元主義的な思想を明らかにすることで、現代の世界秩序と人間の生のありようを考える今日的な視座が提示されており、社会的にも本研究は重要な意義を持っていると考える。