The changing understanding of the British political system in Japan: In relation to the theory of sovereignty in democracy

2024 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K01443
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 06010:Politics-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: MAKABE JIN 北海道大学, 法学研究科, 教授 (30311898)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2025-03-31
• Keywords: 立憲君主政 / 国会主権 / 代議制デモクラシー / 人民主権

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project analyzes how the understanding of the British political system has changed in modern Japan from the perspective of political thought history.　In this study, the British political system from the 19th century onwards was viewed from the perspective of two principles, "parliamentary sovereignty" which were integrated with royal power and "popular sovereignty", and the theory of representative democracy was positioned as a medium between these principles of sovereignty.　In Japan, the understanding of representative democracy has progressed over time, and responses have been made accordingly. However, partly due to the unwritten constitution, British "parliamentary sovereignty" has not been fully understood in modern Japan, either as a political system of constitutional monarchy or as the logic behind the parliamentary cabinet system.

Free Research Field

日本政治思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

19世紀後半から20世紀初頭にかけて、英国国政では「国会主権」と「人民主権」の原理が英国内の自己理解としても確立していくが、近代日本の英国代議制デモクラシーの受容過程において、これらの原理の構造的な問題は十分に意識されていなかった。本研究では、英国国家構造をめぐる古典的な著作の日本への受容を検討して、デモクラシーをめぐるこの二つの主権原理が、明治期以降の日本の識者たちにどのように理解されたのかを時代ごとに明らかし、長期的視野のもとで、英国の代議制デモクラシーと立憲君主政の政治システムの日本での受容過程を解明しようとした。