尋常人の人生觀(<特集>ルース・ベネディクト『菊と刀』の與えるもの)

抄録

The Chrysanthemum and the Sword leaves an impression that Benedict considered her "patterns of culture" as constant for and inherent in a nation or a tribe, which could not be altered by a change of environment or the evolution of society. This is doubtful. For instance, the origin of "shame cultures", which Benedict assigned to the Japanese in contrast with the Westerners' "guilt cultures", should be sought in the samurai class, for which mockery and ridicule were the greatest source of shame to the family or social group to which they belonged. While the Chinese mien-tzu (face, honor) concerns the individual, the Japanese gaibun (repute) and haji (shame) was a matter of the group. It is possible that such a culture pattern might collapse by the blow delivered by defeat. On the other hand, one can rarely find even among the Christian nations a people such as the Japanese who have so often and for so long and so conscienutiosly used the word tsumi (sin, guilt). Benedict's method of seeking in the words in daily use the underlying view of life and social norms is specifically welcome to us Volkskundler in Japan. Her keen perception has made it possible for her to take notice of so many contradictions between concepts represented by words of the apparent same meaning. However, in order to be consistent in this procedure, one should investigate first the origin and change of meaning of these words, especially how they have been used during the last one or two generations, and how their meaning has been confused due to the difference between written and spoken languages. E.g., the three words, "arigato", "kinodoku", "sumimasen", have had three different origins and are of different ages. To generalize about these three on the same level and seek a common meaning therein would be misleading. Benedict's analysis of the two words on and giri is also inadequate. In a study built on such strict methods as Benedict's even a small defect in the materials which have been used would be fatal. The data she has nsed are sometimes not only insufficient, but also wrongly chosen. This may be due to the fact that too little has been known to foreigners concerning the life and thought of the ordinary common Japanese, for those intellectuals who have offered foreigners (including Benedict) Japanese materials have themselves been educated more or less after the tradition of the samurai class. There exists another social world of common men more or less independent from the influence of the samurai. Bushido, "vendetta" and such like are products of one tiny part of the Japanese people. Lastly the reviewer tries to explain the so-called "typical Japanese boredom" as lack of tenacity or frailty against blows, which might be a common characteristic of peoples who live on islands and to whom no other alternative remains than to be annihilated when conquered by the enemy. In this way sake (rice-beer) and seclusion from the world have played a specific role in this country as means to escape from reality.