Motoori Norinaga’s View of Death and Taenaru-Kotowari

MASUDA Tomoya

doi:10.32196/ethics.71.0_263

The purpose of this paper is to reconsider Motoori Norinaga’s view of death from the basic principle（myō-ri）of his thought and the understanding of the world after death（yomi）in the Kojiki-Den. Many scholars think Norinaga’s view of death as a standpoint of resignation and sadness. However Norinaga was interested in after his death. He planned his grave and a funeral by himself. This paper aim not to integrate Norinaga’s view of death that many scholars conducted but to solve the reason why Norinaga had positive view of death. 　Norinaga’s image in Kojiki-Den of the world after death（yomi）was based on the basic principle（myō-ri）of his thought. This image was not only negative. There was possibility to be positive for image of the world after death. Norinaga was convinced that basic principle（myō-ri）that “even if there are evils, finally evils can’t defeat goodness” was omnipresent. Therefore Norinaga attempted to read that evil of the world after death（yomi）eventually changed to goodness from Kojiki’s story in his work Kojiki-Den. Norinaga identified it with Susanō who control the world after death（yomi）changed his character evil to goodness. And Norinaga thought the world after death（yomi）where was the source of evil and death as also the source of goodness. Therefore Norinaga was convinced the basic principle（myō-ri）that changed evil to goodness applicable for death.

Motoori Norinaga’s View of Death and Taenaru-Kotowari

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