宿谷睦夫訳　加藤方寅著「新日本人論」
“New Japanology”　 by Dr. Michinobu Kato

translator: Mutsuo Shukuya
auditor: Bruce Wyman
supervisor: Boye Lafayette De Mente

(Ⅲ) Various qualities of Speaking Japanese

By the way, the way to find out the mechanism that sustains various qualities of the people who speak Japanese is not the subject of natural science but of social science.
Social scientific phenomena are never thought to be caused by a single, isolated mechanism, but usually by a plurality of elements. So, if a mechanism, which one sets forth, could explain about four-fifths of the sources of certain social phenomena, it would be said to be a successful hypothesis. I have discussed Japanology under the presupposition above with my wife.
First of all, I will show you a few random examples of the peculiar behavior of Japanese people, in order to introduce the new Japanology. Then, I am going to find out what mechanism causes these qualities of the people, who speak Japanese. Through this trail I would like to clarify the source of the unitary mechanism. Japanese have shown such qualities as the following:
First of all, they can hardly ever master other languages such as English. They also express their feelings ambiguously to others even when they speak or write. They usually have an analog style of thinking. They seldom join specific religious sects. They feel no absolute sense of guilt before God, but rather a sense of shame before the eyes of other people. They avoid to the utmost being embarrassed in public. They have no interest in becoming independent from their society. So, the common people behave as others around them do. The interest of their immediate circle takes precedence over their wider circle as that of each ministry takes precedence over that of the whole nation. They hesitate to immediately reply Yes or No. They keep harmony with each other but seldom permit others, who behave their own way, to join them. There still remains the lamentable custom of making much of the Government and nothing of the people. They yield to the powerful, while they regard the weak with contempt. They often seek the shelter of another's influence. Although they are equalitarian to the utmost, real democracy has failed to take root in Japan. They are diligent, but they are severely jealous of other's success. Great scholars such as win Nobel prizes seldom come out of their society. And such phenomena as school-confusion and bulling occur severely here.		 第 3章　日本人の特性

　日本人の特性がどのようなメカニズムによって顕現するかという問題を明らかにしようという試みは、自然科学の問題ではなく社会科学の問題です。社会科学的な現象は、それが単一のメカニズムによって起こるなどということは通常有り得ず、大抵複数の要因が絡み合って現れると考えられます。従って、ある社会現象の説明に採用された特定のメカニズムによって問題の七、八十パーセント程度が説明できたとすれば、その採用されたメカニズム（仮説）は成功した仮説と言ってよいでしょう。以上のようなことを前置きとして、私達夫婦が議論を交わしてまいりました日本人論を、展開してまいりたいと思います。
　日本人論の展開に先立って、先ず、日本人に特徴的と見られるよく知られた行動様式等を思い付くまま列挙してみます。　「英語下手」「あいまいな日本語」「アナログ思考」「無宗教性」「罪の意識は人の目」「恥の文化」「自我の確立が脆弱」「集団で行動」「人の和」「日本人のYESとNO」「省益あって国益無し」「郷に入れば郷に従え」「出る杭は打たれるが、出過ぎた杭は打たれない」「官尊民卑」「長い物に巻かれよ」「弱者蔑視」「虎の威を借る狐」「根強い平等意識」「強い嫉妬心」「勤勉」「民主主義が根付かない」「ノーベル賞受賞者が少ない」「陰湿ないじめ」「学校崩壊」等、これらの日本人の特性がどのようなメカニズムによって説明できるかを、ここでは試みようとしているわけです。この試みを通して日本人の特性の持つ意味を明らかにするのがこの章の目的です。
　


宿谷睦夫訳　加藤方寅著「新日本人論」
“New Japanology”　 by Dr. Michinobu Kato

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