Peasant Revolts as Anti-authoritarian Archetypes for Radical Buddhism in Modern Japan

James Shields

doi:10.1163/22118349-00501002

Peasant Revolts as Anti-authoritarian Archetypes for Radical Buddhism in Modern Japan

James Shields

Bucknell University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

<p> The late Meiji period (1868-1912) witnessed the birth of various forms of “progressive” and “radical” Buddhism both within and beyond traditional Japanese Buddhist institutions. This paper examines several historical precedents for “Buddhist revolution” in East Asian—and particularly Japanese—peasant rebellions of the early modern period. I argue that these rebellions, or at least the received narratives of such, provided significant “root paradigms” for the thought and practice of early Buddhist socialists and radical Buddhists of early twentieth century Japan. Even if these narratives ended in “failure”—as, indeed, they often did—they can be understood as examples of what James White calls “expressionistic action,” in which figures act out of interests or on the basis of principle without concern for “success.” Although White argues that: “Such expressionistic action was not a significant component of popular contention in Tokugawa Japan”—that does not mean that the received tales were not <em> interpreted </em> in such a fashion by later Meiji, Taish&omacr; and Sh&omacr;wa-era sympathizers.</p>

Original language	American English
Journal	Default journal
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1163/22118349-00501002
State	Published - Jun 1 2016

Keywords

Buddhist modernism
radical Buddhism
peasant rebellion
religion and politics

Disciplines

Asian History
Buddhist Studies
Ethics and Political Philosophy
Ethics in Religion
History of Religion
History of Religions of Eastern Origins
Intellectual History
Japanese Studies
Political History
Political Theory
Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Social History

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10.1163/22118349-00501002License: CC BY

Peasant Revolts as Anti-authoritarian Archetypes for Radical BuddFinal published version, 597 KBLicense: CC BY

Cite this

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Peasant Revolts as Anti-authoritarian Archetypes for Radical Buddhism in Modern Japan

Abstract

Keywords

Disciplines

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