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4 - Pre-modern Japan

from Part II - Atheisms in History

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2021

Michael Ruse
By
Sarah Whylly
Edited by
Stephen Bullivant
Michael Ruse
Affiliation:
Florida State University
Stephen Bullivant
Affiliation:
St Mary's University, Twickenham, London
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Summary

Writing on the subject of atheism in Japan before the modern period means discussing a concept for which the Japanese have multiple words, and yet none at all. Studying terms for their equivalence in other languages means we are always locating our own concepts in the discourse we are reading. When examining the evidence that indicates the presence of such a term in discourse, the project takes on the character of careful reading of texts and an examination of their context, if possible, in order to best understand how the term relates to other ideas and then an investigation of how this compares with the concept under consideration.

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Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of Atheism , pp. 65 - 83
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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