明治期文明論の時間意識 : 徳富蘇峰『将来之日本』における明治日本の現在

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概要

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• TOKUTOMI Soho is known as one of the most active critics in the Meiji period. Shorai-no-nihon (The Future of Japan, first published in 1886, the 19th year of the Meiji period) is one of his earliest publications which established his reputation as a social critic. In this work, he presented a theory of social evolution that illustrated the history of Western civilization as steps from "the militant type of society" to "the industrial type of society." Using this theory, Soho argued that it was indispensable for Japan to proceed in the same direction of social development in the future. The sources of his theory of social evolution have been made clear by preceding research. Richard Cobden, John Bright, and in particular Herbert Spencer, are the authors who are thought to have provided the framework of his theory. However, I should like to draw attention to the way in which the flow of time is expressed in The Future of Japan, which I believe to be the most distinctive feature of this book. Soho was consistently conscious of the irresistible flow of time as he described the development of Western civilization, or as he estimated the future growth of Japan. We cannot find this type of time-consciousness in either the works of Spencer, or those of Cobden or Bright. On the other hand, although the French authors, J. -J. Rousseau and M.-J.-A. Condorcet, had no direct influence on Soho's work, his consciousness of time bears a marked resemblance to theirs. This point needs to be reconsidered, and in future studies of the transition of the Japanese' attitude toward the modern Western theory of evolution of civilization, The Future of Japan deserves more attention than it has received until now.

著者

• 小宮 彰

  東京女子大学文理学部

関連論文

• 明治期文明論の時間意識 : 徳富蘇峰『将来之日本』における明治日本の現在
• 「寒月君」と寺田寅彦 : 西洋文明としての近代科学
• 十九世紀人類学と近代日本 : 足立文太郎を中心として
• シュピッツァーとディドロ : 文体分析と時間性

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