战后日本民主主义的发展及其局限——以战后初期文部省教科书《民主主义》为中心

The Development and Limitations of Democracy in Postwar Japan:An Exploration Based on Ministry of Education's Textbook Democracy in Early Postwar Japan

日本文部省分别于1948年10月和1949年8月发行的教科书《民主主义》(上、下册),作为当时人们对民主主义思想理解的最大公约数,是研究和探讨战后日本民主主义发展及其局限的重要史料。该教科书的出台过程受GHQ占领政策变化的影响,最终演变为冷战意识形态斗争的工具。其宣扬和美化以资产阶级抽象人性论为基调的民主主义精神、歌颂资产阶级议会政治的先进性及其将共产主义作为独裁主义和绝对主义的一种形式而置于民主主义对立面的思想倾向,遭到了当时日本马克思主义者针锋相对的批判。尽管如此,在战后初期日本的精神废墟上,该教科书作为思想启蒙读本,为当时的日本国民、特别是青少年提供了一种理解民主主义本质的规范,作为思考战后日本民主主义的"原点"、剖析战后民主主义发展及其局限的文本,无论在日本教育史还是思想史上都具有重要的意义。

Japan＇s Ministry of Education issued the first and second volume of the textbook Democracy in October, 1948 and August, 1949 respectively. The textbook became the common denominator of Japanese people＇ s understand- ings of democracy, and is an important historical document for the research and exploration of the development and limi- tations of democracy in postwar Japan. The making of the textbook was influenced by the change of GHQ occupation policy, and the textbook was ultimately made into a tool for cold war idealogical struggle. The textbook tried to promote and beautify a version of democracy that was based on the abstract bourgeois concept of human nature. It sang about the advantage of bourgeois parliamentary politics, and regarded Communism as a form of authoritarianism and absolutism, believing that Communism was antithetical to democracy. This was a belief that was strongly criticized by Japanese com- munists in that time. Despite this, this textbook, as a reader for ideological enlightenment, was then a standard guideline for Japanese citizens, especially the young people there, to understand the nature of democracy. It is the ＂initial point＂ for people＇ s study of postwar Japanese democracy and the very text that can help people to analyze the development and limitations of democracy in postwar Japan. It is of great significance in Japan＇s history of education and thoughts.