Aida Yuji
Encyclopedia
was a leading Japanese historian specialising in the Renaissance
. He was active as a conservative thinker, commentator and major exponent of the Nihonjinron
. He was born in Kyōto
on 5 March 1916. He graduated from Kyoto University
in 1940 and had his Master's degree in history interrupted in 1943, when he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army
. He fought on the Burmese front against the British as an infantryman. He surrendered to the British Army
at the war's end and was detained at Ahlone Camp in the British-controlled Burma. His experiences, especially mental torture in the hands of his captors through their cruel nonchalance towards the Japanese PoWs, are vividly described in his best-selling memoir, Aaron Shūyōjo (1962) On his repatriation in 1947, he began to teach at Kobe University
. He was appointed full professor at Kyoto University's Humanities Department in 1952. He retired from the University in 1979, when he became an emeritus professor. He died of pneumonia
on 17 September 1997.
' of Western civilization was consequential upon the practice of raising and killing livestock
. This hypothesis, called the , was set forth in his 1966 book Rationalism (Gōrishugi). He associated the slaughter of domestic animals, which had been hitherto reared with great care, with the nonchalant belligerence of Western soldiers. In his view, Westerners are free from the kind of hysteria
Japanese soldiers would often show at the sight of bloodshed. Aida blamed this very hysteria for the excessive acts of cruelty that the Japanese were accused of during the Second World War. Westerners, on the other hand, have so long been accustomed to calmly butchering animals that they developed a rational approach to slaughter, which they extended to human conflict. The Japanese hardly had any contact with livestock owing to the Buddhist taboo
of eating meat and were too emotive to master the Western sort of nonchalance.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. He was active as a conservative thinker, commentator and major exponent of the Nihonjinron
Nihonjinron
The term literally means theories/discussions about the Japanese. The term refers to a genre of texts that focuses on issues of Japanese national and cultural identity. The literature is vast, ranging over such varied fields as sociology, psychology, history, linguistics, philosophy, and even...
. He was born in Kyōto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
on 5 March 1916. He graduated from Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
in 1940 and had his Master's degree in history interrupted in 1943, when he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. He fought on the Burmese front against the British as an infantryman. He surrendered to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at the war's end and was detained at Ahlone Camp in the British-controlled Burma. His experiences, especially mental torture in the hands of his captors through their cruel nonchalance towards the Japanese PoWs, are vividly described in his best-selling memoir, Aaron Shūyōjo (1962) On his repatriation in 1947, he began to teach at Kobe University
Kobe University
Shindai is one of the leading universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university is ranked 10th in 2010 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai...
. He was appointed full professor at Kyoto University's Humanities Department in 1952. He retired from the University in 1979, when he became an emeritus professor. He died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on 17 September 1997.
Theory of European Rationalism
Aida is best remembered for the theory that the 'rationalityRationality
In philosophy, rationality is the exercise of reason. It is the manner in which people derive conclusions when considering things deliberately. It also refers to the conformity of one's beliefs with one's reasons for belief, or with one's actions with one's reasons for action...
' of Western civilization was consequential upon the practice of raising and killing livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. This hypothesis, called the , was set forth in his 1966 book Rationalism (Gōrishugi). He associated the slaughter of domestic animals, which had been hitherto reared with great care, with the nonchalant belligerence of Western soldiers. In his view, Westerners are free from the kind of hysteria
Hysteria
Hysteria, in its colloquial use, describes unmanageable emotional excesses. People who are "hysterical" often lose self-control due to an overwhelming fear that may be caused by multiple events in one's past that involved some sort of severe conflict; the fear can be centered on a body part, or,...
Japanese soldiers would often show at the sight of bloodshed. Aida blamed this very hysteria for the excessive acts of cruelty that the Japanese were accused of during the Second World War. Westerners, on the other hand, have so long been accustomed to calmly butchering animals that they developed a rational approach to slaughter, which they extended to human conflict. The Japanese hardly had any contact with livestock owing to the Buddhist taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
of eating meat and were too emotive to master the Western sort of nonchalance.
Works
- Kyōdai Seiyōshi: 4, Sōgensha, Tokyo 1951.
- Runesansu, Kawade Shobō, Tokyo 1974.
- Aaron Shūyōjo Chūō Kōronsha. Tokyo 1962.
- Gōrishugi Kōdansha Gendai Shinsho, Tokyo 1966.
- Mikeranjiero:Ai to Bi to Shi to Seibundō Shinkōsha, 1963.
- Haisha no jōken: Sengoku jidai o kangaeru, Chūō Kōronsha. Tokyo 1965
- Nihonjin no ishiki kôzô, Kôdansha Gendai Shinsho Tokyo 1972
- Ketsudan no jōken, Shichōsha, 1975
- Chōetsusha no shisō: kami to hito no deai, Kōdansha,Tokyo 1975.
- Runesansu no bijutsu to shakai, Sōgensha, Tokyo 1981.
- Mikeranjiero: Sono kodoku to Eikō, PHP, Kyoto 1996.
- Rekishika no tachiba PHP, Kyoto 1997.