ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Takamiya demonstrates how the Japanese have accepted Western philosophies in the context of moral education in schools. After the Meiji Restoration, mandatory schooling was instituted in Japan. Its curriculum included moral education classes called Shushin (修身)—based on the Confucian classic Great Learning (大学). In 1890, the Imperial Rescript on Education was promulgated, encouraging loyalty derived from Confucianism and patriotism stemming from Western thought.
After Japan’s defeat in World War II, Shushin was suspended because it was held responsible for the war. For 13 years, no moral education class was taught in Japanese schools, except in the subject of social studies. In 1958, the class resumed as an instructional activity, but not as a subject. It still included Confucian virtues—such as courtesy (礼), but also featured Kantian virtues—such as autonomy and sublimity. Another thinker who influenced the content of this class was Tetsuro Watsuji (和辻哲郎), who explained ethics from the perspective of human relationships—known as ‘betweenness.’ Influenced by Watsuji’s ethics, the Japanese moral education class has taught love of family and patriotism.
In the context of the post-war rivalry between conservatives and progressives, the latter opposed the ‘moral education class hours.’ However, this class became a special subject in 2019. Apart from the ideological controversy about moral education, the justifiability and universalisability of the contents of Japanese moral education have recently been ethically and philosophically questioned. Therefore, in this chapter’s latter half, Takamiya discusses how moral contents can be justified.
