日本『国定修身書』に見る忠君愛国教育の精神─ 低学年・中学年を対象とした巻を中心に ─

초록

This study attempts to examine how the Spirit of Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism was interpreted and addressed in Japan’s 『National Ethics Textbook』 from its first period (1904) to its fifth period (1941), focusing on lower elementary grades (1st and 2nd graders) and middle grades (3rd and 4th graders). While all volumes of the 『National Ethics Textbook』, from its first to its fifth period, were structured with the 「Imperial Rescript on Education」 as their fundamental basis, a level-appropriate approach was essential. This was because, unlike older students who could grasp the 「Imperial Rescript on Education」 as it was, children in the lower and middle elementary grades, with their developing comprehension, required tailored methods to be taught the spirit of Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism. In that process, simplifying sentences is essential, and the task involves prioritizing and retaining content judged to be of high importance, while deleting other parts. That is, by comparing and analyzing the sections related to Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism found in textbooks aimed at lower and middle elementary grades, we believe it's possible to identify the core aspects of Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism that the state most wished to instill in children. Therefore, this paper aims to define the aspects corresponding to the spirit of Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism within the interpretation of the 「Imperial Rescript on Education」 found in Volume 6 as the standard for Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism in the 『National Ethics Textbook』. Our goal is to examine how the Spirit of Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism was reflected in textbooks designed for lower and middle elementary grades, where simplification of sentences and vocabulary was necessary during the teaching process, and to identify the commonalities and characteristics therein. By establishing a defining standard and making a comparison, we highlight the emphasized points within the sections on Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism found in each volume. This allows us to reconfirm the kind of ideal human figure the government of the time sought to instill in children through education, based on the commonalities and characteristics observed.

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