Work · East Asian Philosophy
Theory and Psychology of Ultra-Nationalism
The essay, published in the journal Sekai in May 1946, that made him famous: the imperial state claimed authority over values themselves, and since everyone derived authority from closeness to the emperor, no one bore responsibility.
Introduction
The essay appeared in the May 1946 issue of the journal Sekai, less than a year after Japan’s surrender, and made Maruyama famous overnight. It asks what made Japanese ultra-nationalism different from European fascism. The answer lies in the structure of the prewar state: it did not separate the private sphere of conscience from public authority but claimed to embody ultimate value in the emperor, so that authority and morality were fused. Everyone derived authority from closeness to the emperor and passed pressure downwards, and no one acted as a free subject responsible for decisions. The essay set the terms of postwar debate about Japan’s responsibility for the war.
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