Ninjō
Ninjō (人情; "human emotion or compassion") in Japanese, is human feeling that complements and opposes the value of giri, or social obligation, within the Japanese worldview.[1] Broadly speaking, ninjō is said to be the human feeling that inescapably springs up in conflict with social obligation.[2] As ninjō is a culture-specific term, the validity or importance of this concept is subject to a wide range of viewpoints, inextricably tied into one's perspective on nihonjinron, which compares Japan with other cultures to establish what is unique about the country.[3]
Concept
Ninjō is roughly translated as "human feeling" or "emotion" and could also be interpreted as a specific aspect of these terms such as generosity or sympathy towards the weak.[4] The classic example of ninjō is that of a samurai who falls in love with an unacceptable partner (perhaps a person of lower social class or a member of an enemy clan). As a loyal member of his clan, he then becomes torn between the obligation to his feudal lord and his personal feelings, with the only possible resolution being shinjū or double love-suicide. This demonstrates how giri is superior to ninjō in the Japanese worldview since the latter could weaken an individual's devotion to his duty.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Graham, Fiona (2005). Japanese Company in Crisis. Oxon: Routledge. pp. 196. ISBN 0415346851.
- ^ Winkler, Lawrence (2016-08-03). Samurai Road. Bellatrix. ISBN 978-0-9916941-8-1.
- ^ Domingues, Virginia; Wu, David (2014). From Beijing to Port Moresby: The Politics of National Identity in Cultural Policies. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach Publishers. pp. 273. ISBN 978-9057005022.
- ^ Kaplan, David E.; Dubro, Alec (2003). Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 17. ISBN 0-520-21561-3.
- ^ Sasaki, Masamichi S.; Suzuki, Tatsuzō (2002). Social Attitudes in Japan: Trends and Cross-National Perspectives. Leiden: BRILL. p. 125. ISBN 90-04-12532-9.