"
The religion of Japan is practically a worship of the State itself.
Patriotism is the expression of this worship. The Japanese mind does
not split hairs as to whether the Emperor is Heaven incarnate or the
State incarnate. So far as the Japanese are concerned, the Emperor
lives, is himself deity. The Emperor is the object to live for and
to die for. The Japanese is not an individualist. He has developed
national consciousness instead of moral consciousness. He is not
interested in his own moral welfare except in so far as it is the
welfare of the State. The honour of the individual, per se, does not
exist. Only exists the honour of the State, which is his honour. He
does not look upon himself as a free agent, working out his own
personal salvation. Spiritual agonizing is unknown to him. He has a
"sense of calm trust in fate, a quiet submission to the inevitable, a
stoic composure in sight of danger or calamity, a disdain of life and
friendliness with death." He relates himself to the State as,
amongst bees, the worker is related to the hive; himself nothing, the
State everything; his reasons for existence the exaltation and
glorification of the State.
Pages:
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294