Nationalism, political realism and democracy in Japan : the thought of Masao Maruyama / Fumiko Sasaki.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sasaki, Fumiko, 1964- author.

Series:

Routledge Contemporary Japan Series

Routledge contemporary Japan series ; 41

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Maruyama, Masao, 1914-1996--Political and social views.

Political science--Japan--Philosophy--History--20th century.

National security--Japan.

Japan--Politics and government--1945-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (257 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Masao Maruyama was the most influential and respected political thinker in post-WWII Japan. He believed that the collective mentality, inherent in the traditional Japanese way of thinking, was a key reason for the defeat in WWII and was convinced that such thought needed to be modernized. In this book Fumiko Sasaki argues that the cause of the prolonged political, economic and social decline in Japan since the early 1990s can be explained by the same characteristics Maruyama identified after 1945. Using Maruyama's thought Sasaki explores how the Japanese people see their role

Contents:

Cover; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgements; List of Abbreviations of the books/collections of Masao Maruyama; 1 Introduction: Masao Maruyama; Maruyama and Japan's unarmed neutrality; The composition of this book and key concepts examined; Maruyama and his roles in Japanese history; 2 Analyzing the causes of the Fifteen Year War; The war and the defeat; Bedrock of national security - nationalism; An analysis of the causes of the war; Conduit to national security - political realism; 3 Creating modern man: The basis of national security; Pre-WWII ethics - Confucianism

Modernization of ethicsNew concept of reality; 4 Establishing political realism: Guidance to national security; Raison d'état in international politics; Logic of politics - the behavioral principles for a modern state; Pragmatism as political realism; Maruyama's political realism and Japan; 5 Advocating unarmed neutrality; Japanese independence in crisis; Principles Japan must follow; Cold War reinterpreted; Unarmed neutrality: a failed alternative; 6 Defending democracy: A prerequisite of national security; Independent Japan and the security issue; Maruyama and the crisis

An appraisal of Maruyama in the crisisDemocracy in Japan; 7 Conclusion: Predicting the second defeat; Maruyama failed; Maruyama and the second defeat; Notes; Select bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on metadata supplied by the publisher and other sources.

ISBN:

1-136-31378-8

1-283-52104-0

9786613833495

0-203-11922-3

1-136-31379-6

OCLC:

804661720