The Education of the Western Learning and its Historical Role

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Other Title
  • 洋学教育の歴史的意義
  • ヨウガク キョウイク ノ レキシテキ イギ

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After the visit of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853-54, the Tokugawa shogunate established the Bansho Shirabesho (Institute for the Investigation of the Barbarian Books) for the Western learning. Members of this instittute taught Western science and technology and foreign languages, and translated diplomatic documents. At first, students were only direct retainers of the shogunate, but later on the retainers of the domain also were admitted. The curriculum grew from early emphasis on military subjects to include mathematics, physics and chemistry. The Western learning was added to the curriculum in many hanko (domain school), too. Alongside the hanko, even the schools for the Western learning appeared in the domains of Saga, Choshu, Mito, Fukui and the others. In the last days of the Edo era, the shogunate and the domains imported the Western science. But we should emphasis that the Western science was received as practical science. This thought lasted in the modern Japan and has dominated the sciece education even at present time. Schoolars of the Western learning were trained at the shijiku (the private school). Reprsentative shijiku were the Sirando of Otuki Gentaku, the Narutakijuku of P.F.von Siebolt, the Shosendo of ltd Genboku and the Tekijuku of Ogata Koan. Thus, this paper concerns the history of the education of Western learning. First we deal with the Bansho Shirabesho and the hanko. Secondly we focus on the distinguishing characteritics of the Western learning in Japan. Finally we discuss its influence on the adoption of Western technology and science in the Meiji era.

Journal

  • 人文論集

    人文論集 54 (2), 1-38, 2004-01-31

    静岡大学人文学部

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