Liquid Life Abortion and Buddhism in Japan / William R. LaFleur.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

LaFleur, William R.

Contributor:

American Council of Learned Societies.

Series:

ACLS Humanities E-Book.

Princeton paperbacks

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Abortion--Religious aspects--Buddhism.

Abortion.

Abortion--Japan.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xviii, 257 p. ) ill. ;

Edition:

1st Princeton pbk. printing

Place of Publication:

Princeton N.J : Princeton Univ. Press, 1994.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Why would a country strongly influenced by Buddhism's reverence for life allow legalized, widely used abortion? Equally puzzling to many Westerners is the Japanese practice of mizuko rites, in which the parents of aborted fetuses pray for the well-being of these rejected "lives." In this provocative investigation, William LaFleur examines abortion as a window on the culture and ethics of Japan. At the same time he contributes to the Western debate on abortion, exploring how the Japanese resolve their conflicting emotions privately and avoid the pro-life/pro-choice politics that sharply divide Americans on the issue.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PART ONE: ORIGINAL CONCEPTS

CHAPTER 1 Behind the Great Buddha

CHAPTER 2 A World of Water and Words

CHAPTER 3 Social Death, Social Birth

CHAPTER 4 Jizo at the Crossroads

PART TWO: HISTORICAL PROCESSES

CHAPTER 5 Edo: An Era in View

CHAPTER 6 Edo: Population

CHAPTER 7 Edo: Polemics

CHAPTER 8 Sex, War, and Peace

PART THREE: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

CHAPTER 9 Apology

CHAPTER 10 Moral Swamps

CHAPTER 11 A Rational, National Family

CHAPTER 12 Crossovers

Conclusion

APPENDIX "The Way to Memorialize One's Mizuko

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [243]-252) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781400843671

1400843677

OCLC:

298105084

Publisher Number:

2027/heb04090 hdl