| Abstract |
This paper examines Aizawa Seishisai's interpretation of Western natural sciences, government systems, and religion, and discusses his assertion that introducing military technologies, under the assum...ption that the acceptance of Western culture in the Later Mitogaku represented a wider pattern of approval. A representative of Later Mitogaku, Aizawa Seishisai asserted with conviction that there was a difference between li, “law in nature including cosmological principle” in Confucianism and the principle of Western natural sciences. He regarded Western achievements and advanced technology in natural sciences as a tool, without actually interrogating the principles behind natural sciences. In other words, he merely attached importance to the technology of practicability. As the brains behind Tokugawa Nariaki, a Japanese daimyo who ruled the Mito domain, Aizawa Seishisai had the ruler's ear on topics such as the introduction of military technology, prohibition against Western study and Christianity. His notion of western study and attitude towards western culture had an influence on Tokugawa Nariaki. Above all, his thought about Western culture were reflected in the reformation of the Mito domain, and he had an influence on the bakufu through the propositions that Tokugawa Nariaki would put forward. This pattern of Aizawa Seishisai’ s pragmatic acceptance of western culture, had an influence on the concept of wakonyosai, “Japanese spirit combined with Western learning” and the treatment of Western culture in the process of bunmei-kaika, “Japan's civilization and Westernization” from the Meiji period on, which is the period in which we will pay attention to the differences between kyūri, “study of natural laws and social ethics” in Confucianism and the principle of western natural sciences.show more
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