Evolution of the Japanese, Social and Psychic | Page 2

JAPAN.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 13
I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS
Occidental conceptions of the recent history of Japan--Japan seems to be contradicting our theory of national evolution--Similarities of ancient and modern Japan--Japanese evolution is "natural"--The study of Japanese social evolution is of unusual interest, because it has experienced such marked changes--Because it is now in a stage of rapid growth--And is taking place before our eyes--Also because here is taking place a unique union of Occidental and Oriental civilizations--Comparison between India and Japan, 23
II. HISTORICAL SKETCH
Mythology and tradition--Authentic history--Old Japan--The transition from Old to New Japan--New Japan--Compelled by foreign nations to centralize--Ideals and material instruments supplied from abroad--Exuberant Patriotism--"Ai-koku-shin," 35
III. THE PROBLEM OF PROGRESS
Is Japan making progress?--Happiness as a criterion--The oppressive rule of militarism--The emptiness of the ordinary life--The condition of woman--"The Greater Learning for Woman"--Divorce--Progress defined--Deficiency of the hedonistic criterion of progress, 52
IV. THE METHOD OF PROGRESS
Progress a modern conception and ideal--How was the "cake of custom" broken?--"Government by discussion" an insufficient principle of progress--Two lines of progress, Ideal and Material--The significance of Perry's coming to Japan--Effect on Japan of Occidental ideas--The material element of progress--Mistaken praise of the simplicity of Old Japan, L. Hearn--The significance of the material element of civilization--Mastery of nature--The defect of Occidental civilization, 61
V. JAPANESE SENSITIVENESS TO ENVIRONMENT
Our main question--Illustrations--Japanese students abroad--Sensitiveness to ridicule--Advantages and disadvantages of this characteristic--National sensitiveness to foreign criticism--Nudity--Formosa--Mental and physical flexibility--Adjustability--Some apparent exceptions--Chinese ideographs--How account for these characteristics, 72
VI. WAVES OF FEELING--ABDICATION
The Japanese are emotional--An illustration from politics--The tendency to run to extremes--Danger of overemphasizing this tendency--Japanese silent dissent--Men of balance in public life--Abdication--Gubbins quoted--Is abdication an inherent trait? 82
VII. HEROES AND HERO-WORSHIP
Popular national heroes--The craving for modern heroes--Townsend Harris's insight into Oriental character--Hero-worship an obstacle to missionary work--Capt. Jaynes--An experience in Kumamoto--"The sage of Omi"--"The true hero"--Moral heroes in Japan--The advantage and disadvantage of hero-worship--Modern moral heroes--Hero-worship depends on personality and idealism--The new social order is producing new ideals and new heroes, 89
VIII. LOVE FOR CHILDREN
Japanese love for children--Children's festivals--Toys and toy-stores--Do Japanese love children more than Americans do?--Importance in Japan of maintaining the family line--The looseness of the Japanese family tie--Early cessation of demonstrative affection--Infanticide, 96
IX. MARITAL LOVE
Affection between husband and wife--Occidental and Oriental estimate of woman contrasted--This a subject easily-misunderstood--Kissing a social habit unknown in Japan--Demonstrative affection a social, not a racial characteristic--Some specific illustrations, Dr. Neesima--A personal experience--Illegitimate children--Fraudulent registration--Adult adoption--Divorce--Monogamy, polygamy, and prostitution--Race character, social order, and affection--Position of women--The social order and affection--The social order and the valuation of man and woman--The new social order and the valuation of man--The spread of Christian ideals and the re-organization of the family, 102
X. CHEERFULNESS--INDUSTRY--TRUTHFULNESS--SUSPICIOUSNESS
Japanese cheerfulness--Festivals--Pessimism existent, but easily overlooked--The ubiquity of children gives an appearance of cheerfulness--Industry--Illustrations--Easy-going--Sociological interpretation--Mutual confidence and trustfulness--Relation to communalistic feudalism--Changes in the social order and in character--The American Board's experience in trusting Japanese honor--The Doshisha and its difficulties--Suspiciousness--Necessary under the old social order--The need of constant care in conversation, 115
XI. JEALOUSY--REVENGE--HUMANE FEELINGS
Jealousy particularly ascribed to women--How related to the social order--Is jealousy limited to women?--Revenge--Taught as a moral duty--Revenge and the new social order--Are the Japanese cruel?--First impressions--Treatment of the insane--Of lepers--The cruelty and hardness of heart of Old Japan--Buddhistic teaching and practice--Buddhist and Christian Orphan Asylums--Treatment of horses--Torture in Old Japan--Crucifixion and transfixion by spears--Hard-heartedness cultivated under feudalism--Cruelty and the humane feelings in the Occident--Abolition of cruel customs in ancient and in Old Japan--Cruelty a sociological, not a biological characteristic--The rise of humane feelings--Doctors and hospitals--Philanthropy, 127
XII. AMBITION--CONCEIT
Ambition, both individual and national--The "Kumamoto Band"--Self-confidence and conceit--Refined in nature--Illustrations in the use of English--Readiness of young men to assume grave responsibilities--A product of the social order--Assumptions of inferiority by the common people--Obsequiousness--Modern self-confidence and assumptions not without ground--Self-confidence and success--Self-confidence and physical size--Young men and the recent history of Japan--The self-confidence and conceit of Western nations--The open-mindedness of most Japanese, 137
XIII. PATRIOTISM--APOTHEOSIS--COURAGE
"Yamato-Damashii": "The Soul of Japan"--Patriotism and the recent war with China--Patriotism of Christian orphans--Mr. Ishii--Patriotism is for a person, not for country--National patriotism is modern--Passionate devotion to the Emperor--A gift of 20,000,000 yen to the Emperor--The constitution derives its authority from the Emperor--A quotation from Prof. Yamaguchi--Japanese Imperial succession is of Oriental type--Concubines and children of the reigning Emperor--Apotheosis, Oriental and Occidental--Apotheosis and national unity--The political conflict between Imperial and popular sovereignty--Japanese and Roman apotheosis--Prof. Nash quoted--Courage--Cultivated in ancient times--A peculiar feature of Japanese courage--"Harakiri"--E. Griffis quoted--A boy hero--Relation of courage to social order--Japanese courage not only physical--modern instance of moral courage, 144
XIV. FICKLENESS--STOLIDITY--STOICISM
Illustrations of fickleness--Prof. Chamberlain's explanation--Fickleness a modern trait--Continuity of purpose in spite of changes of method--The youth of those on whom responsibility rests--Fluctuation of interest in Christianity not a fair illustration--The period of fluctuation is passing away--Impassiveness--"Putty faces"--Distinguish between stupidity and stoicism--Stupid stolidity among the farmers--Easily removed--Social stolidity cultivated--Demanded by the old social order--The influence of Buddhism in suppressing expression of emotion--An illustration of