유교문화와 일본 근대성에 대한 고찰

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to identify the impact that Japan's unique brand of Confucianism has had on the country's emperor system(天皇制), which is the political manifestation of Japanese Confucianism. In particular, this thesis will highlight the role Japan's own interpretation of Confucianism has played in forming the ideological basis of the emperor system. Japan embraced Confucianism in the Edo era, an era that preceded the Meiji era, and Japan's take on Confucianism has influenced the history of thought that served as a condition for the emergence of the emperor system. By exploring the Confucian traditions Japan nurtured in the Edo era as well as its impact on the country, the thesis delineates the fundamental link between Japan's Confucian traditions and its modernity. The premise is that Japanese Confucianism served as a cultural element that helped engender its emperor system. In other words, the thesis outlines the history of Japan's philosophical development to offer deeper understanding of Japan. Focusing on Japan's own understanding of Confucianism -- which was uniquely shaped by the Edo society that embraced it -- enables us to decipher the impact Confucianism had on the formation of Japan's modern emperor state, thereby casting a critical light on the notion that Confucianism is an obstacle to Western modernization. This critical approach in turn offers an alternative narrative on Japan's modernity, which is currently predominantly interpreted through a Western-centric paradigm/thought. This analysis on East Asian Confucianism also provides a platform for comparative study on Korean/Chinese/Japanese path to modernity, deepening the understanding of the three East Asian countries that took their respective route to modernity.