• CONCEPT AND COMMUNICATION
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• no.23
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• pp.237-272
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• 2019

This paper reexamines the prevailing understanding of the Meiji Enlightenment in terms of the discourse on civilization and enlightenment conducted by Meirokusha in the early Meiji period. Specifically, it extends the discourse on civilization and enlightenment beyond the confines of Meirokusha to also include the discourses of those advocating the unity of church and state and the establishment of a state religion. Such discourses gave rise to various forms of enlightenment in the late Meiji period, of which this paper explores the critical appropriation of modern western enlightenment that occurred in the process of formation of Kokutai (national polity) theory, hence the enlightenment of Kokutai. There is a particular focus on the division and reorganization of the concept of 敎 (teaching / religion), since it was the key concept in Kokutai theory and enlightenment was only relevant to Kokutai theory in this context. This analysis shows that when the adherents of Kokutai understood it as a religion, and 敎 (teaching / religion) was seen in ideological terms, then enlightenment appeared in a distorted form as a discipline required by divine authority. Another finding is that when rational judgment and criticism of the Kokutai religion were not allowed, this suppressed the formation of the individual subject of enlightenment.