Double Bias in Adopting Burke’s Aesthetics : The Meiji Constitution and its Influence

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There was a double bias among Japanese people in adopting Edmund Burke (1729-1797)'s aesthetics in the era of modernization. One bias was caused by the 'Germanization'3' of Japanese institutions, the other was done by the underestimation of aesthetics in the Japanese historiography of 'philosophy'. This double bias should be seen as intricately and intrinsically related to the enactment of the Meiji Constitution {Dai-nippon-teikoku Kempo) at that time. In drafting the Constitution, Kentaro KANEKO (1 853-1942) introduced Burke as a western conservative thinker who was opposed to the radical Rousseauism. Burke's political thought was regarded as anti-liberal or anti-democratic. The Meiji Constitution was established based on the Prussian one, asserting the power of the Emperor {Ten 'no). As a result, almost all the Meiji institutions were Prussianized, or 'Germanized'. Many German specialists in various academic fields were invited to Japan, instead of English-speaking people from Britain or U.S.A. The British ethos, which had flourished since the arrival of Kuro-fune ('Black Ships' from the West), became but a 'sub-standard'5). Philosophy was no exception. In this discipline in Japan, for example, I. Kant (1724-1804), G. W. F. Hegel (1770-1831) and A. Schopenhauer (1788-1860) were the principal persons of its historiography, and the Hegelian historicism was considerably outstanding in its influence. Consequently, Burke's aesthetics has ever since been taken as pre-Kantian, pre-systematized and immature. In this essay, I will point out that the double bias has often interrupted an academically 'fair' reception of Burke's aesthetics, and that this bias against a study of Burke still remains in Japan today. A clear understanding of the bias against Burke's thought will allow us to reconsider and reconstruct a discipline dealing with the 'aesthetic'.

Journal

  • 文芸学研究

    文芸学研究 6 123-134, 2002-07-31

    The Society for Science of Literary Art

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