Sociological Theory and Argument of Folk of Takata Yasuma

Abstract

Although Takata Yasuma is known as a sociologist who established Japanese theoritical sociology, he is also refferred by his arguments on folk (Minzoku) during the pre-war era. In this case, the criticisms, whether positively or negatively, have tended to be made to Takata' s attitude on actuality or Japanese nationalism than to the validity of his arguments. It is intended, in this paper, to reveal the relations of Takata's folk arguments to his sociological theory, by the examination of his concept “ketsugo” or solidarity.
Takata began his sociology in the name of sociology of solidarity, for he considered the social relationships as the most essential theme of sociology. But, in order to increase universal value and analytical abstraction of his theory, he substituted the common tendencies of human beings to solidarities and differentiations for the social relationships. In his thought that these two tendencies are unexplainable factor, Takata's theory, the Third Historical View or the Populational View of History, has become to seem to explain the rational process of social development by the irrational elements of mankind, and regard the “Vergesellschaftung” as the natural result of history.
In the argument on folk he put emphasis on the solidarity of folk for the self-protection of the folk. Yet, in this emphasis, the irrationality of his treatment of tendencies to solidaity has been the cause of difficulty to treat-the folk's solidarity relatively and objectively in his theory.
Then it is pointed out that the possibility to make his theoritical elements rational can be gained by going back to his early writings. And his attitude toward his native place is reexamined.