East Asian Nations and the Sociology of Takata Yasuma

Takata Yasuma is one of the most well known Japanese sociologists over the world. His formal theory was frequently mentioned by German Sociologists, such as Alfred Vierkandt, Max Scheller, Theodor Geiger, et al. They held him in high esteem. He wrote more than one hundred books, among which "The Principle of Sociology, " and "The Study of Social Relationships" based on zwischenmenschliche Bereitschaft, together with "The Study of Power, " have immortalized his name. As his two books, "The World Society" and "The Ethnicity or Folk"were alreday discussed, I will introduce and criticize his "The East Asian Nations" in 1939 along with his discussion on current topics and policies about the East Asian peoples around 1940.<BR>At first his subjective and objective definition of the folk is made clear, which the subjective consciousness of the nation is more important in seperating it from other similar groups tied by the common bonds of blood and tradition and fate than objective one. According to him, the nationalism, which intends to pursue the aim of the nation, differentiates the modern nation from the traditional one. Then he discusses the posibility of supra-nation such as East Asian nations and evidences that East Asian nations are becoming one definite unit of the supra-nation by the bonds of the same blood, the same culture and the same locality as the nation is based on this three bonds and that the consciousness of the supra-nation is to be conscious. Accordingly, East Asian peoples should make efforts to form one cooperative unit of East Asian nations as the one self-defensive unit by awakening of this three common bonds and are to have a clear consciousness of one supra-nation against capitalism and imperialism of the West. Especially, while fighting, Japan and China should be conscious of this three same bonds, and make their best to end war. It is highly regrettable and to be criticized that Takata could not grasp rightly what had caused the war between Japan and China so that his peaceful propositions led to naught.<BR>It should be pointed out, however, that he does not permit to veil the interests of both the poor and lower class in the name of national interests. He stands always by the poor both in Japan and Asian Countries with the emancipation of the yellow from the white domination and imperialism of the West as the slogan. Above all, he proposes that in order to keep peaceful cooperation among East Asians, the higher level of living of the Japanese upper class in Japan and Asian Countries should be cut down. In short, he is a perfect equalitarian scholar in the true sense of the term.