TOWARD THE UNIVERSAL ETHICS AND VALUES IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: WITH REFERENCE TO JAPANESE RELIGIONS COMPARED TO MODERN RATIONALISM

Abstract

Today, globalization is still far from creating a picture in our minds about an integrated global society with certain common values and ethics. However, the exchange and flow of people, goods, money, information and images are emerging on a transnational level and, in this global sphere, some values of dominant-particularity with pseudo-universality have prevailed. Most of these values originated in Western societies. This paper presents a tentative outline of alternative common values in the new global sphere, with reference to Japanese religions, especially Buddhist ideas, making comparison with modern rationalism that originated in the West. In the globalization process of human society, those values and norms which have been formed at the nation-state level become relativized and lead to the fluidity and instability of cultural identities. Furthermore, it also becomes clear that such dominant values based on modern rationalism have revealed their limitations. Hence, we need to search for alternative values common to all human beings. In this line of thought, it is useful to consider the possibilities or potentialities of Buddhist ideas as common values.