Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/90077

JaLCDOI : 10.14943/b.edu.142.85

KEYWORDS : 赤井米吉;志垣寛;野村芳兵衛;生命主義;新教育運動;生命国家;Akai Yonekichi;Shigaki Hiroshi;Nomura Yoshibe;Vitalism;New Education Movement;Life-state

This paper focuses on Akai Yonekichi (1887-1974), Shigaki Hiroshi (1889-1965), and Nomura Yoshibe (1896-1986), educational theorists who were active in Kyouiku-no-seikisya, and examines their discourses of life. While previous studies have accumulated a certain amount of research on the Taisho period, little has been known about the early Showa period. In this paper, we focus on the "life" philosophy of Akai, Shigaki, and Nomura, questioning its origin and examining their thoughts from the Taisho to the early Showa periods. The analysis revealed that Akai, Shigaki, and Nomura were inspired by R. W. Emerson, H. Bergson, and Shinran, respectively, to construct their own "life" ideology and preach an individualistic and liberal theory of education in the Taisho period. In their view, "life" was a symbol of educational ideals and signified anti-modern, anti-Western civilization. However, their concept of "life" changed in the early Showa period with the experience of the crisis of the Depression around 1930. In their view, "life" was transformed into something that manifested itself in the real world as a "Life-state" centering on the emperor. Their theory of Life-state was a theory of the nation that rejected the principles of the modern nation-state, such as the rule of law and parliamentarism, and regarded totalitarianism as the principle of Japan. Thus, their educational theory became nationalistic and totalitarian, supporting and inspiring the construction of a Life-state. When "life," which should be respected, becomes identified with the nation state, Life-state regards individual life as a "cell" and exerts its power of life and death.