著者

宮永 孝

出版者

法政大学社会学部学会

雑誌

社会志林 = Hosei journal of sociology and social sciences (ISSN:13445952)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.67, no.2, pp.1-166, 2020-09

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It was only after the Meiji Restoration (i.e. 1868), the start of a new government following the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, that the Japanese commenced to learn Western philosophy properly. But the Study of philosophy in Japan was primitive. Japanese had, however, only a few scholars who knew something about Western philosophy in the closing days of the Tokugawa government. Banri Hoashi (帆足万里, 1778~1851), the Confucian scholar and scientist, owned "Beginsels der Natuurkunde (The Principle of Physics), 1739" by Petrus van Musschenbroek. He could have found words "Wysbegeerte (i.e. philosophy)" or "Philosophie" by reading the preface of the book.Yōan Udagawa (宇田川榕庵, 1798~1846) was a person who studied Western sciences by means of the Dutch language and a researcher at the Bakufu's Institute for Western Learning in Yedo (nowadays Tokyo). He learned about "philosophia" and "metaphysica" by reading a handwritten copy of the "Seigakubon" (「西学凡」) by Giulio Aleni (艾儒略), an Italian Jesuit, in the Ming Dynasty. Rokuzo Shibukawa, (渋川六蔵,1815~51), the apprentice scholar at the Research Institute for Western Learning, translated the Dutch Words "philosofie" or "filosofy" into "費録所家".Amane Nishi (西 周, 1829~97), the apprentice scholar at the "Bansho shirabesho" (i.e. the Research Institute for Western Learning), had slight knowledge of Western philosophy presumably by reading "A Biographical History of Philosophy, 1845-1846) by G. H. Lewis. Prior to his departure for Holland in a bid for studying Western humane studies in the last days of the Tokugawa regime, he sent a letter, desiring to learn Western philosophy, to Prof. J. J. Hoffman at Leiden University, mentioning Descartes, Hegel, Kant etc. In Leiden, Nishi and his fellow student, Mamichi Tsuda (津田真道, 1829~1903), took private lessons under Prof. Vissering, studying mainly politics, economics and international law and so on for 2 years.While working for the new government after the collapse of the Tokugawa regime, Nishi ran a private school named "Ikueisha" (育英社) in Asakusa, Tokyo from 1870 to 1873, teaching his students about some Western philosophers and their theories. In his lecture he referred to kant's critique of cognition and his transcedental Reinen Vernunft as well. The name of Kant was expressed "韓圖" or "坎徳" in Chinese characters at that time.It has been almost 420 years since the Japanese started learning Western philosophy, however, it was suspended for centuries due to the ban on Christianity during the Tokugawa period. Tracing its introduction into Japan, we must go back to the time when Christianity found its way into our country in the 16 century. When Francisco Xavier (1506~53), the Jesuit missionary, and his followers landed in Kagoshima, Satsuma Province in 1549, the Japanese first learned about the ideas of Christianity and later on selected believers in the new religion started to study scholastic philosophy as well as Greek theology.Though we see lots of Portuguese or Latin words such as "Philosopho" or "philosophia" in the early Chiristian literature in Japan, we could not translate them into proper Japanese. Since we had no Japanese equivalent to them, missionaries were forced to use the original words.It was also at the Jesuit College at Kawachinoura (河内浦) in Amakusa-jima (天草島), a group of islands, west of kyūshū in the province of Higo, that Japanese theological students were first officially taught Western philosophy and Christian theology in 1599. The students then used Compendia compiled by the Spanish Jesuit, Petro Goméz in 1593 as their textbooks.Though Japanese Christians came in touch with Western ideas and lots of thinkers through Jesuit activities and books on Christianity, the newly started philosophical education in Japan broke down due to the ban on Christianity and to the national isolation promulgated by the Tokugawa government in the Yedo period (i.e. 17 century). But some of the scholars of Western learners in Japan had little bit of knowledge of Western philosophy in the dark age.Time flies. It was a German merchant named Carl Ernst Boeddinghaus (1834~1914) who brought the work by Kant to Nagasaki, Japan, in the 3rd year of the Bunkyu period (i.e. 1863). He purchased the second edition of "Antholopologie in programatischen Hinsicht abgefaßt von Immanuel Kant, 1797" in Germany, 1856, providing himself with this book on his trip to Japan. The book was found and bought in Nagasaki by Chōzo Muto (武藤長蔵, 1881~1942), a Professor at Nagasaki Higher Commercial School. Probably this was the first Kant book ever brought to Japan. Thus the German merchant played an important role in the propagation of German culture in Japan some 160 years ago.Nishi found not only Kant but called "philosophy" as "Tetsugaku" (i.e. 哲学) in Japanese. He enjoyed being named as an introducer of Western learning as well as Shigeki Nishimura (西村茂樹, 1828~1902), a bureaucratic scholar, in the early days of Meiji.Though Nishi sowed the field of German philosophy at his private school, the formal philosophical education in Japan began at Tokyo University founded in the 10th year of the Meiji period (i.e. 1877). Among "The Yatoi gaikokujin" (i.e. foreign employees) were found, Edward W. Style (1817~1870), an American Episcopolian, who first taught history and philosophy there.After him Ernest F. Fenollosa came and taught economics, politics, philosophy and sociology and so on the next year. He stayed in Japan for 8 years from the 11th year of the Meiji period (i.e. 1878) until the 19th year of the same. Fenollosa taught the philosophy of Kant in the second or third year class at the University. In succession to him, Charles J. Cooper (his age at birth and death is unknown), George W. Knox (1853~1912), Ludwig Busse (1862~1907) and Raphael von Koeber (1848~1923) taught German philosophy.Busse primarily used Kant's "Pure Reason" (Kritik der Reinen Vernunft, 1781) as a textbook whereas Koeber utilized "Critique of Judgement" (Kritik der Urteitskraft, 1790) and "Pure Reason" as texts.No essays or treatises on Kant were ever published from the early years of the Meiji period until about the 20th year of the same (i.e. 1868~1887) though, the periodicals and the public lectures contain only a slight mention of Kant. Books were silent on the philosophy of Kant.In November of the 17th year of the Meiji period (i.e. 1884), however a rare book titled "Doitsu Tetsugaku Eika" (『独逸 哲学英華』) written by Yosaburo Takekoshi (1865~1950), a historian and politician, was published by Hōkokudo in Tokyo. The author described the life of Kant and his theories using the German literature in the chapter of "Inmanyu Kantoshi" (「員蟆郵留韓圖子」) which extends over some 6o pages. This book is truly hard to read and a jargon though, it is the first essay on Kant in Japan.The first scientific essays or lectures on Kant began to appear from the start of the 20th year of the Meiji period (i.e. 1887) when the learned journal titled "Tetsugakukaizasshi" (『哲学会雑誌』) was published. From this time on the journal rendered great services in the philosophical world in Japan. It was in the mid-20th year of the Meiji period that scholars began studying Kant consulting the original texts. But their products were full of imitative nature wanting in originality. "T. T." an anonymous critic, commented on imitative tendency of Japanese academics.Rikizo Nakajima (中島力造, 1858~1918), a professor at Tokyo University, Enryo Inoue (井上円了, 1858~1919), the founder of the Tetsugakukan (nowadays Toyo University), Umaji Kaneko (金子馬治,1870~1937), a professor at Tokyo Senmongakko (nowadays Waseda University) began publishing their papers on Kant in the periodicals in the mid-20th year of the Meiji period (i.e. 1892-1896).In June of the 29th year of the Meiji period (i.e. 1896), Tsutomu Kiyono's "Hyochu Kanto Junrihihan kaisetsu" (『標註 韓圖純理批判解説』), commentary on Kant's "Kritik der Reinen Vernunft", was published by Tetsugakushoin in Tokyo. This was the first book on Kant published in the Meiji period. However it was criticized unfavorably saying it was merely refashioning of " Kant's Critical Philosophy for English Readers, 1889" by John P. Maffy D. D. and John H. Bernard B. D..From the 30th year of the Meiji period until the end of it (i.e. 1897 -1912), such scholars as Yoshimaru Kanie (蟹江義丸, 1872~1904), a professor at Tokyo Kotoshihan Gakko, Seiichi Hatano (波多野精一, 1877~1950), a lecturer at Tokyo Senmongakko, Masayoshi Marutomi (丸富正義, his age at birth and death is unknown), von Koeber (1848~1923), a professor at Tokyo University, Hajime Minami (三並良, 1867~1976), Takejiro Haraguchi (原口竹次郎,1882~1951), Wakichi Miyamoto (宮本和吉, 1883~1972), Yujiro Motora (元良勇次郎, 1858~1912) published their essays in different magazines. Remarkable research activities on Kant at the Tetsugakukan (哲学館) are worthy of notice because of the offering of correspondence courses.During the Meiji era (i.e. 45 years) only 20-plus essays and a commentary on Kantianism were published, though, the next Taisho period (i.e. 1912~1926), saw an explosive increase of publication on Kant in view of the Neo-Kantianism. Scholars took Kantianism as their own philosophy. At this point their studies on Kant deepened, however, they still showed a tendency to mimic habit. Some say that the Japanese are supposed to be naturalistic as well as positivistic by nature.German metaphysics does not suit their temperament. The slow advance of philosophy in Japan was due to the uncongeniality of disposition.Critics in the mid-30th of the Meiji period also pointed out our academical tendency of studying philosophy by imitation:scholars feel comfortable in receiving instruction from Germany. They always turn to others for assistance.