The Debate on the Uselessness of Western Studies

Authors

Susanna Fessler PhD, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 2011

Abstract

In 1902, Mori O¯ gai and Anesaki Cho¯fu¯ briefl y engaged in a public debate on the importance of study abroad and Western learning in general. Cho¯fu¯ was cautionary about Japan following foolishly in the steps of Germany; O¯ gai countered with the argument that the West (and Germany in particular) offered intellectual riches as long as the Japanese student chose his subjects carefully. Neither man “won” the debate, but their arguments reveal how German philosophy infl uenced modern Japan and how variably that philosophy was interpreted.

Comments

Publisher Acknowledgment

This is the publisher's PDF of the following article made available by the Society for Japanese Studies and housed at the University of Washington: FESSLER, SUSANNA. "The Debate on the Uselessness of Western Studies." The Journal of Japanese Studies 37, no. 1 (2011): 61-90. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41337641.

The publication policies for the Journal of Japanese Studies meet the requirements for Open Access.

Recommended Citation

Fessler, Susanna PhD, "The Debate on the Uselessness of Western Studies" (2011). East Asian Studies Faculty Scholarship. 4.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/eas_fac_scholar/4