The Vision of Nature and Human Beings in Kinji Imanishi's The World of Living Things

Abstract

In recent years, environmental issues have become ubiquitous across the world. A critical concern for education worldwide should be to promote environmental education. A closer examination of goals, curricula, and effective methods are important. However, before facing these practical considerations, we should define what the environment is, how it should be recognised, and how we should behave towards it. The aim of this chapter is to clarify the vision of human beings and nature based on Kinji Imanishi's perspective and its anthropological implications. Imanishi is a biologist, ecologist, anthropologist, and founder of Japanese primatology. He developed his unique vision which was greatly influenced by human sciences, especially philosophy, sociology, and cultural anthropology. His vision can be regarded as an interesting trial that seeks to consider human beings and nature beyond the framework of modern Western natural sciences. In this chapter, Imanishi's personal history and academic background are introduced. Following this, through the critical interpretation of The World of Living Things (1941), which is his main work, I clarify his view of nature and human beings. Finally, I examine the anthropological implications of Imanishi's perspective for our approach to the environment.