2023 Volume 97 Issue 2 Pages 101-125
While during the Edo period, the conflict between science and religion did not cause significant disturbances, towards the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, with the increased influx of Western culture, concerns arose regarding the potential impact of the West on ethics and morals through the advancement of science. These fears subsided following the Meiji Restoration, as the separation of science and religion in the West became apparent. Simultaneously, the reverence for the emperor as the foundation of governance and morality gained acceptance. Nevertheless, when scientific socialism began to spread to Japan following the establishment of the Soviet Union, Japanese intellectuals became aware of the ideological challenge of reconciling science with the religious nature of the state. Hashida Kunihiko, who served as Minister of Education from 1940 to 1943, proposed a solution by emphasizing the morality of individuals involved in scientific pursuits. The moral integrity of its people, however, was not sufficient to compensate for the inferiority of Japan at “scientific war” with Britain and the United States. Reflecting upon Japan's defeat, particularly symbolized by the atomic bombs, the nation and society set a post-World War II goal of promoting science and technology.
