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The was an intellectual society in
Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization b ...
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
that published social-criticism journal . Proposed by statesman Mori Arinori in 1873 (six years after the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were r ...
) and officially formed on 1 February 1874, the Meirokusha was intended to “promote civilization and enlightenment”, and to introduce western
ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns m ...
and the elements of western civilization to Japan. It played a prominent role in introducing and popularizing Western ideas during the early Meiji period, through public lectures and through its journal, the ''Meiroku zasshi''. Mori had been impressed by the activities of American educational societies during his stint (1871-1873) as Japan's first envoy to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. He was also influenced by
Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts Sta ...
's views on
universal education Universal access to education is the ability of all people to have equal opportunity in education, regardless of their social class, race, gender, sexuality, ethnic background or physical and mental disabilities. The term is used both in colle ...
. Its original members were Mori Arinori, Nishimura Shigeki,
Fukuzawa Yukichi was a Japanese educator, philosopher, writer, entrepreneur and samurai who founded Keio University, the newspaper '' Jiji-Shinpō'', and the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases. Fukuzawa was an early advocate for reform in Japan. His ...
, Kato Hiroyuki, Mitsukuri Rinsho, Mitsukuri Shuhei, Nakamura Masanao,
Nishi Amane was a philosopher in Meiji period Japan who helped introduce Western philosophy into mainstream Japanese education. Early life Nishi was born in Tsuwano Domain_of_ ">DF_23_of_80">"Kamei"_at_''Nobiliare_du_Japon'',_p._19_ DF_23_o_..._of_Iwami__...
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, Tsuda Mamichi, and Sugi Koji. The society grew to encompass a total of thirty-three members, including Sakatani Shiroshi, Kanda Takahira, Maejima Hisoka, Nagayo Sensai, Tanaka Fujimaro, Tsuda Sen, Ōtsuki Fumihiko, and William Elliot Griffis. This membership thus included some of the most leading educators, bureaucrats, and philosophers of 19th century Japan, from a variety of backgrounds. Most had studied both
Eastern Philosophy Eastern philosophy or Asian philosophy includes the various philosophies that originated in East and South Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Korean philosophy, and Vietnamese philosophy; which are dominant in East Asia ...
and
Western Philosophy Western philosophy encompasses the philosophical thought and work of the Western world. Historically, the term refers to the philosophical thinking of Western culture, beginning with the ancient Greek philosophy of the pre-Socratics. The word ...
, and most had experience in living abroad. The Chinese philosophy faction felt that the strength and prosperity of the western nations was built on a foundation of moral strength, and urged that Japan follow the same path. The European philosophy faction asserted that the strength and prosperity of the western nations was due to
logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premi ...
, science, and rationally organized and operated organizations and institutions. The pragmatist faction held that Japan had its own unique and special strengths that needed to join with both western values and western systems of government. One of the main issues they debated was religious freedom and the ideal relationship between religion and the nation state. Although the Meirokusha continued to function up to around 1900, the society's influence sharply declined after it was forced to cease publishing its journal following the introduction of the Press Ordinance and the Libel Law in 1875.


Sources

* ''Meiroku Zasshi: Journal of the Japanese Enlightenment.'' William Reynolds Braisted, trans. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1976. * Hall, Ivan Parker. ''Mori Arinori''. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1973. . * Josephson, Jason Ānanda. ''The Invention of Religion in Japan''. University of Chicago Press, 2012. . * Tozawa Yukio. Meirokusha no Hitobito. Tsukiji Shokan, 1991, (Japanese)


References

{{Authority control Meiji Restoration Organizations established in 1874