Does Conscience Have to be Free? A Multiple Crossroads of Religious, Political, and Diplomatic Arguments: 1868-1874

Kōichirō Matsuda

doi:10.5209/mira.64981

Abstract

This article will focus on the conundrum of building the political legitimacy while institutionalizing religious freedom which the newly established goisshin 御一新 government confronted. Liberation of "evil sects", which not only meant Christianity but also other religious sects such as fujufuse-ha of Nichiren school, was an issue which the Meiji state wanted to dodge. Western states demanded the lifting of the ban on Christianity but Japanese political leaders were vigilant against the idea. Reluctantly the Meiji state lifted the ban on Christianity in 1873 but they had started the institutionalization of Shinto as the state religion in advance. The government officials viewed that Christian faith and churches in Western countries were devised to prevent public mind from dissolution. They strived to establish an alternative version of religious authority in Japan instead of introducing the principle of conscientious freedom. However, on the other hand, a new generation of intellectuals raised the protection of the individual right of religious freedom as an urgent issue. I will analyze the diplomatic negotiations between the Western countries and the Meiji government officials, reports on the Western religious and educational systems in the Iwakura Mission records, voices of Buddhist and Shinto groups, and publications by leading intellectuals such as Nakamura Masao and Katō Hiroyuki so as to build a picture of how the concept of conscientious liberty was treated in such entangled contexts.

Highlights

This paper will focus on the Meiji government’s challenge of building political legitimacy while institutionalizing religious freedom
The Meiji state reluctantly withdrew the prohibition against Christianity in 1873 while, at the same time, they had started the institutionalization of Shinto as the state religion
The issue of the liberty of conscience was highlighted in this period but was deformed in different modes of argument

Summary

Introduction

This paper will focus on the Meiji government’s challenge of building political legitimacy while institutionalizing religious freedom. The Meiji government’s leaders viewed that Christian faith and churches in Western countries were devised to prevent the populace’s mind from dissolution They wanted to establish a parallel religious institution for this function rather than introducing the principle of conscientious freedom to Japan on humanitarian grounds. The Meiji government did not place the highest priority to establishment of a state religion They feared the Western intrusion with Christian missionaries in the lead but, on the other hand, they wanted to avoid the confrontation over this issue with the Western governments. Leaders of the Meiji government such as Iwakura did not hide a bold opinion that they needed to fabricate the national religion as useful as Christianity of the Western countries. Terashima took it for granted that Christianity was not a matter of “conviction.”

The Crisis of the Public Mind

Conscience and ryōshin 良心

Conclusion