Research on the Ethics of Townsmen: A New Perspective on the Motivations for Modernization in Japan

Author: Liu Jincai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-11-01
Features: To explore the true spiritual driving forces behind the generation and development of modern Japanese capitalism, and to address the historical and logical inconsistencies that have existed in this field of research, this book is guided by Marxist historical materialism. It employs theories from ethics, history, and sociocultural studies, adopting a method that combines philosophical and historical approaches. From the perspective of the history of philosophical thought, it conducts a systematic and in-depth historical examination and research on the formation and development of the Japanese early modern townspeople (merchants and craftsmen) class, the sociocultural background and historical trajectory of the formation of their ethical thought, the connotation and spiritual orientation of townspeople's value ethics, as well as its role and influence in the transformation of Japan from a feudal society to a modern capitalist society.
The research results indicate that during Japan's pre-modern Tokugawa period, only the townspeople class, which had mastered economic and cultural dominance and became the main force promoting the development of early modern commodity economy, was the ruling class of the Tokugawa society and the most advanced class within it. Only the value ethics and spiritual orientation of the townspeople—such as "valuing money above all," "placing money at the center," and "considering profit as good," along with the pursuit of wealth through honesty, frugality, and meticulous calculation—essentially aligned with the laws of commodity economy, promoted the development of commercial capital, and gave rise to early modern capitalism with a modern orientation. It was precisely the townspeople class and its value ethics and spirit that played a crucial role in eroding, dismantling, and destroying the feudal rule based on the land ownership of feudal lords, the four-tiered social hierarchy, and the dominance of Zhu Xi's Confucianism during Japan's historical transition from a feudal society to a modern capitalist society. This class and its value ethics served as the spiritual driving force behind the generation and expansion of modern Japanese capitalism, as well as the transformation and development of Japan from a feudal society to a modern capitalist society.
This book offers a new perspective and a unified view of history and logic for the exploration of the causes of modernization in Japan.