Abstract
The aim of this research is to reexamine Edo-period thought from the perspective of environmental thought, and to determine the degree to which this thought can potentially contribute to current environmental thought. I chose three Edo-period thinkers as the subjects of this study: Banzan Kumazawa, Baigan Ishida, and Shoeki Ando. I examine (1) the way of thinking of each and (2) what these three thinkers have in common and how they differ from one another, in order (3) to infer the structure of environmental thought in Edo-period thought, and, based on the findings, (4) to discuss what impact such thought might have on modern environmental education. The paper concludes with a comprehensive discussion of the verification of Banzan, Baigan, and Shoeki so as to shed light on the way in which elements of environmental thought were structured in Edo-period thought. All three thinkers were similar in that they espoused the thought “Tenchi Banbutsu Ittai” (unity of all things). It was made clear that worldviews that derive from this philosophical background are based on a holistic thought structure which places emphasis on the interconnection between all life forms and events, including humans, and are qualitatively different from anthropocentrism..
