Nationalism, Religion, and Social Darwinism : Nation and Religion in the Works of Kato Genchi and Liang Qichao

DOI Web Site

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • ナショナリズムはなぜ宗教を必要とするのか : 加藤玄智と梁啓超における社会進化論
  • ナショナリズム ワ ナゼ シュウキョウ オ ヒツヨウ ト スル ノ カ : カトウゲンチ ト リョウケイチョウ ニ オケル シャカイ シンカロン

Search this article

Description

By comparing the ideas of Kato Genchi and Liang Qichao, this paper seeks to reveal the presence of a social Darwinist logic in the modern conceptions of the relationship between nationalism and religion. Based on a social Darwinist perspective, Kato argued for the necessity of a "new religion" to create social cohesion in Japanese society. From the viewpoint of social Darwinism, international relations are a fierce struggle for survival among the various nations, and a society or a nation must be "strong" to win this battle for existence. In order to be strong, people must form a homogenous body politic. Kato understood religions as bearing common values that inte- grate individuals into society. Kato thought it to be essential for the formation of an integrated society that all members of the community share an affiliation to the same religion. This same logic of the relationship between religion and social Darwinism is also found in the thought of Liang Qichao, an eminent scholar, journalist and politician in late imperial and early republican China. Liang's perception of religion underwent various transformations during his lifetime, but Liang persisted in expecting religion or something religious to edify the Chinese people and cause social integration to take place. Like Kato, Liang considered religion to provide the common values that ought to be shared by all members of a nation.

Journal

Related Projects

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top