朝日社説 日本と韓国―歴史を直視して、前へ
「靖国に参拝しない」と言うだけでは足りない。この地域の近現代の歴史をどう見るのか、戦後の日本は何を反省し、教訓としているのか。鳩山首相には常にそこを意識し、一貫した発信に心がけてもらいたい。
歴史認識は難しいものがある。外交とその時の情勢や機運というものもあり、「一貫した」より、鳩山さんお得意の「時間というファクターによって変化する可能性は否定しない」で行ったほうがよいだろう。
そういえば。
 大声で歌え「君が代」を: ケヴィン・M・ドーク, 工藤 美代子 |
本居宣長から福沢諭吉、和辻哲郎、そして安倍晋三まで──
近代日本の「ナショナリズムの歴史」を解き明かした話題作を邦訳。
ナショナリズムはけっして危険思想ではない。むしろ欧米の民主主義の発展にとって必要不可欠な思想だったし、日本も例外ではあり得ない。国旗を振らず、国歌を歌わない国が、はたしてあるだろうか。
著者は米国ジョージタウン大学の教授をつとめる国際的な日本研究者。高校時代に日本に留学し、東京大学、京都大学、立教大学、甲南大学で日本近代史を学んだのち、シカゴ大学大学院で博士号を取得した異色の経歴の持ち主。数多くの日本語文献を読みこなす一方、本格的に政治学研究を究めた成果が、
本書に結実した。
第一章 国家と市民の基盤
第二章 明治維新と民権運動
第三章 天皇制度の戦前と戦後
第四章 国民と社会の契約
第五章 戦後における国民の登場
第六章 民族と戦争を超えて、結び 市民ナショナリズムの可能性。
アメリカ人らしい、ある意味でプレーンな叙述だった。
 A History of Nationalism in Modern Japan: Placing the People (Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 5 Japan): Kevin Michael Doak: 洋書 |
また、この問題を扱う、日本のいわゆるアカデミックな学者や、岩波系の学者さんは、戦後史の吉本隆明を軽視する傾向があるが、ケヴィン氏はそれなりに吉本を読み込み、その立ち位置を了解しようとしているのが、むしろ意外な印象があった。
⇒Amazon.com: A History of Nationalism in Modern Japan: Placing the People (Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 5 Japan) (9789004155985): Kevin M. Doak: Books
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable New Modern Japanese History Handbook, May 9, 2007
By M. MCCASKEY (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
"More than twenty years of reading the literature on Japanese nationalism have left me with a strong sense that what is said in English and what is said in Japanese about the subject are often worlds apart." - This statement by the author at the opening of the first chapter points out one of the great merits of this book. It is almost entirely based on original sources in Japanese.
Japanese is a very challenging language for non-Japanese to learn well. The ability to do research based on documentation in Japanese requires a special aptitude for the language, plus many years of hard work. Doak is one of a very small number of American scholars who can do their own direct original research in Japanese, without the need to rely on sources in translation, or depend on third-party Japanese research assistance.
This ability to conduct original research using original Japanese sources is fully reflected in the book's more than 500 informative footnotes, citing a virtual library of more than 130 source books and articles in Japanese. These are the key items in a larger extensive bibliography, which reflects in-depth research using French sources as well as English ones.
"A History of Nationalism in Modern Japan: Placing the People" is a must-have reference for any student or scholar, doing research at any level, on modern Japanese history. It is definitely the most comprehensive and authoritative source-book on Japanese nationalism in English, since Ivan Morris's classic "Nationalism and the Right Wing in Japan," which was published back in 1960, and is now out of print.
This new book by Doak, reflecting twenty years of research, based on almost a half-century of additional source material in Japanese beyond what Morris covered, now takes first place in its field. Like Morris's 1960 work, this landmark 2007 book by Doak is not only an authoritative reference, but makes for some very interesting and enjoyable reading as well.
Some historical figures play recurring, and sometimes unexpected roles. The stereotypical "modernizer" Fukuzawa Yukichi, known today mainly as the founder of Keio University in Tokyo, is a good example. Doak reveals tellingly that in some ways, in fact, Fukuzawa was not actually as progressive as believed.
"Advocates of 'protecting the constitution' found a surprising opponent in the ghost of Fukuzawa Yukichi....Fukuzawa's independent spirit has appealed greatly to journalists, intellectuals, and others critical of the state. But in fact, he shared much with Inoue Tetsujiro, including his hatred of Christianity and his support for the government, especially after 1881." (p. 105)
The book ends with a forward-looking discussion of the current (2007) Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo, both his career background and his acts as government leader, and an analysis of Abe's version of nationalism, as expressed in a book which the new Japanese Prime Minister published just last year.
As was the case with books by Ivan Morris before him, Doak's work is also read in Japan. A Japanese translation of Doak's 1994 book "Dreams of Difference: The Japan Romantic School and the Crisis of Modernity," along with the original English version, and "A History of Nationalism in Modern Japan" itself, are all available at Amazon Japan.
This is an indispensable reference for anyone seriously interested in modern Japanese history and the true meaning of Japanese nationalism.
「国旗を振らず、国歌を歌わない国が、はたしてあるだろうか。」と問うべきなのか、それによって特徴づけられる国家なのか、この問題は、結果的に日本の特殊性を問うのか、近代国家の凡庸さを問うのか、そのあたり、頭一つ、右派左派のテンプレ議論を越えたところがあった。
ネットの現状なら、意訳の邦題だけでなーんにも考えずに沸騰する人が多いのだろうな。議論の多様さ、それ自体を駆逐したい欲望に駆られる恐怖にネットは直面しているのかもしれないな。
