Morikawa, Takemitsu

写真a

Affiliation

Faculty of Letters, Department of Humanities and Social Science (Human Relations) (Mita)

Position

Professor

Related Websites
Page Top ▲

Profile 【 Display / hide 】

  • Takemitsu Morikawa studied Economics, Economic History and the History of Social-scientific Thought at Keio University in Tokyo, where he was the recipient of a full scholarship. In 1997 he embarked upon a doctoral degree at the University of Kassel in Germany, supported by a PhD scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). After successfully completing his doctorate in sociology (magna cum laude) in 2001, he worked as a research fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in the Department for Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies of the University of Tokyo until 2004. In 2002, his PhD thesis "Handeln, Welt und Wissenschaft. Zur Logik, Erkenntniskritik und Wissenschaftstheorie für Kulturwissenschaften bei Friedrich Gottl und Max Weber" ("Action, World and Science. On Logics, Epistemology and Philosophy of Science in Friedrich Gottl and Max Weber") won the Nihon shakaigakushi gakkai (Japanese Society for the History of Sociology) young scholar award. Between 2005 and 2007, he led the project "Interkulturelle Vermittlung. Zur Bedeutung und Wirkung von Mori Ôgai im Prozess der kulturellen Modernisierung Japans" ("Intercultural Mediation. On Mori Ôgai's Significance for and Influence on the Process of Japanese Cultural Modernisation") in the Interdisciplinary Workgroup for Cultural Research at the University of Kassel, which was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). From 2009 to 2013, he then led the project "Transformation der Liebessemantik in Japan. Von der Frühen Neuzeit in die Neuzeit" ("The Transformation of the Semantics of Love in Japan. From the Early Modern to the Modern Era") at the Department of Sociology of the University of Lucerne. This project was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF). In January 2012, he completed his habilitation at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Lucerne. Since 1998, Takemitsu Morikawa has taught Sociology, Japanese Studies and Philosophy at the Universities of Kassel, Heidelberg, Lucerne, Zurich, Basel, Vienna, Freiburg (i.Br.), Fribourg (i.Ue), Duisburg-Essen as well as at Osaka University, Toyo University and University of Tokyo. Since 2018, he works as (full-)Professor for Sociology, with focus on sociological theories, history of sociology, sociology of culture and sociology of knowledge at Keio University in Tokyo.

Page Top ▲

Other Affiliation 【 Display / hide 】

  • Graduate School of Human Relations, Major: Sociology, committee

Page Top ▲

Career 【 Display / hide 】

  • 2012.02
    -
    Present

    University of Lucerne, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Senior Lecturer

  • 2022.09
    -
    Present

    University of Bonn, Center for Reconcilliation Studies, associate member

  • 2021.10
    -
    Present

    Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Forum Internationale Wissenschaft, Permanent Visiting Fellow

  • 2021.10
    -
    Present

    Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Franz Oppenheimer Center for the History of Economy and Society, Associated Researcher

  • 2017.10
    -
    2018.03

    University Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute for Sociology, Institute for East-Asian Studies, Acting Professor

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Academic Degrees 【 Display / hide 】

  • 学士（経済学）, Keio University, Coursework, 1993.03

    「コミュニケーション的行為とは何を意味するか。ユルゲン・ハーバーマスの批判理論に対する批判的一考察」

  • 修士（経済学）, Keio University, Coursework, 1995.03

    「法の合理性と資本主義。マックス・ヴェーバーにおける法と経済の関係を中心として」

  • PhD in Economic and Social Sciences (Dr.rer.pol.), Universität Gesamthochschule Kassel, Germany, Dissertation, 2001.07

    Zusammenhang der Welt und des Menschen. Oder: Werthaftigkeit und Weltlichkeit. Zur Logik und Wissenschaftstheorie für Kulturwissenschaften bei Friedrich Gottl und Max Weber.

  • Habilitation (Venia legendi for sociology of culture), University of Lucerne, Switzerland, 2012.01

    Verortung Japans. SChriftsteller Mori Ôgai, interkulturelle Vermittlung und Romantik.

Page Top ▲
 

Research Areas 【 Display / hide 】

  • Humanities & Social Sciences / History of thought

  • Humanities & Social Sciences / Sociology

Page Top ▲

Research Keywords 【 Display / hide 】

  • Niklas Luhmann

  • Max Weber

  • media studies

  • world society studies

  • history of ideas

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Research Themes 【 Display / hide 】

  • The emergence (and differentiation) of sociology from political economy in German speaking countries in the fin de siècle between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, 

    2018.04
    -
    Present

    　View Summary

    I approach this subject through analysis of writings by Friedrich Gottl, Max Weber, and Alfred Schutz, especially their concepts of "daily life," "action," and "meanings" with theories and methods of the sociology of knowledge. In this historical context, I pay an attention to the phenomenological movement at that time.

  • Studies on a post-poietic paradigm, 

    2016.01
    -
    Present

    　View Summary

    Since Plato and Aristotle, three tenets of western philosophy have been the understanding of human action as production (poiesis), of beings as products, and of time (past, present, future) as a continuum without a qualitative break. Sociological thinking is not free of this epistemological tradition, and almost all sociological theories of action regard the meaning of human action as being parallel to the meaning of products. The post-poietic paradigm attempts to relativize this epistemological tradition and open a new horizon of sociological thinking

  • Transformation of love semantics in Japan. From the early modern ages to the modern times., 

    2009.09
    -
    2015.01

Page Top ▲
 

Books 【 Display / hide 】

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Papers 【 Display / hide 】

  • AUTHORITARIANISM AND PERIPHERAL MODERNITY: REMARKS ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS IN JAPAN

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    FIW Working Paper 19 2023

    Research paper (conference, symposium, etc.), Single Work, Accepted

    　View Summary

    Angesichts der Verfassungskrise, die die Durchsetzung des Sicherheitsgesetzpakets durch die japanische Regierung 2015 auslöste, versucht das vorliegende Working Paper, strukturtheoretische Gründe für diese Krise aufzuzeigen und dafür die Struktur der peripheren Moderne im Sinne Marcelo Neves’ in Japan zu identifizieren. Sein Begriff der peripheren Moderne ist durch zwei Bestimmungen gekennzeichnet: 1) die mangelnde Rechtsautonomie und 2) die duale Inklusionsstruktur für den Zugang zur Gesellschaft. Beide Aspekte sind in der japanischen Gesellschaft evident. In dem Paper wird zuerst die schwache Rechtsautonomie in der japanischen Gesellschaft diskutiert, die zum Teil auf das „traditionelle“ Rechtsverständnis zurückzuführen ist, und die Überordnung der Politik über das Recht. Darin enthalten ist die unzulängliche Implementierung des Rechtscodes, der die politischen Entscheidungen vor Einwirkungen verschiedener partikularer Interessen und vor Einflüssen aus ihrer Umwelt schützen soll. Dann wird am Beispiel der Inklusionsstruktur von drei Subsystemen – Wirtschaftssystem, Rechtssystem und politisches System – die duale Inklusionsstruktur der japanischen Gesellschaft erläutert.

  • The Effects of Centre/Periphery-Differentiation and the Semantics of Civilisation, With an Example of Devolutional changes in Love Semantics in Late 19th and Early 20th Century Japan

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    Soziale Systeme (Walter de Gruyter)  23 ( 1-2 ) 191 - 214 2021.06

    Research paper (scientific journal), Single Work, Accepted,  ISSN  0948-423X

    　View Summary

    In this paper, the author discusses the concept of differentiation between the center and periphery and its structural effects within larger society. The author goes on to illustrate how the process of globalization – and increasingly intensified contact with the functionally differentiated “center”– does not always promote functional differentiation in every local society outside of it but can instead destroy the evolutionary potential existing therein. To this purpose, the author focuses on the changes of love semantics in late-19 th - and early-20 th -century Japan. Caused by the dominance of civilization semantics that corresponded to the relationship between the center and periphery at the structural level, love semantics were re-moralized, losing their power to create an autonomous sphere for intimate relationships free from societal authorities and powers such as morals and politics.

  • The End of Sociology as Multiple Paradigm Science?: Influence of the Globalization on the German Sociology from the Viewpoint of the Separation of the Academy for Sociology from the German Sociological Association

    Takemitsu MORIKAWA

    Studies on the History of Sociology (Seiunsha)   ( 42 ) 7 - 29 2020.07

    Research paper (conference, symposium, etc.), Single Work

  • „Cultural Lag“ im Zeitalter der Digitalisierung: Im Spannungsfeld zwischen soziokultureller Evolutionstheorie und Theorie der Moderne

    Takemitsu MORIKAWA

    soziologie heute  ( 69 ) 6 - 9 2020.02

    Research paper (scientific journal), Single Work,  ISSN  2070-4674

  • Human rights as indicator for the differentiation of centre, semiperiphery and periphery in the world society. A Contribution to World Society Studies

    MORIKAWA Takemitsu

    Em Tese 15 ( 2 ) 137 - 162 2018.12

    Research paper (scientific journal), Single Work, Accepted,  ISSN  1806-5023

    　View Summary

    In this paper, the categories of centre, periphery, and semiperiphery are revised for the studies of world society. The centre of world society has primary functional differentiation, whilst other forms of differentiation, such as segmentary differentiation and stratification, remain dominant in the periphery. The semiperiphery may be defined as an arena in which functional differentiation struggles for hegemony against other forms of differentiation. Firstly, the centre is defined by its cognitive closeness as well as its power of definition and interpretation against the periphery, whilst the periphery can only accept the interpretations, definitions, and decisions performed at the centre. The emergence of national identity as a cultural identity outside of the centre is not understandable without relation to the centre. However, semiperipheral and peripheral cultural identities prevent some nations from further modernising toward functional differentiation. Secondly, the centre of modern world society is defined by the implementation of functional differentiation, whilst an important indicator of the border between the centre and periphery is the status of human rights. Thus, we can say that all regions are exposed to the structural effects of world society, especially that of the world economy, but all functional systems have not been implemented equally throughout the world. Whilst in the centre, access to social resources is guaranteed by individual human rights (fundamental rights), the population in the semiperiphery and periphery requires membership in particular organisations or social ties to obtain the benefits of the modern world and world economy. Thirdly, while the periphery of world society is seen in ‘failed states’, this paper proposes that authoritarian regimes are semiperiphery. Societies in the semiperiphery are characterised by the dominance of political and economic systems over other functional systems. The modern systems theory calls such a society an organisation society.

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Papers, etc., Registered in KOARA 【 Display / hide 】

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Reviews, Commentaries, etc. 【 Display / hide 】

  • Rezension: Fücker, Sonja: Vergebung: Zu einer Soziologie der Nachsicht

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    Sociologia Internationalis (Duncker& Humblot)  57 ( 1+2 ) 123 - 127 2022.04

    Book review, literature introduction, etc., Single Work

  • Limited Fundamental Rights and the Suspended Functional Differentiation in the Ongoing Corona Crisis

    Takemitsu MORIKAWA

    Inquiries into Humans and Societies (Kokusai bunken sha)  89 ( 1 ) 97 - 100 2020

    Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (bulletin of university, research institution), Single Work,  ISSN  0912-456X

  • Handeln = Herstellen? Unterwegs zu einem postpoietischen Paradigma: Ein Tagungsbericht aus Sicht der Verantstalter

    Takemitsu Morikawa, Shingo Torigoe

    soziologieblog  2019.06

    Meeting report, Joint Work

  • Buchbesprechung: Christa Hämmerle und Ingrid Bauer: „Liebe schreiben. Paarkorrespondenzen im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert“

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    Geschichte und Region/Storia e regione (StudienVerlag)  27 ( 2 ) 230 - 235 2019

    Book review, literature introduction, etc., Single Work,  ISSN  1121-0303

  • Doppelbesprechung: „Es ist alles schon einmal dagewesen.“ Die deutsche Kultursoziologie zwischen Vergangenheit und Zukunft

    MORIKAWA Takemitsu

    Soziologische Revue (De Gruyter)  40 ( 1 ) 98 - 106 2017.01

    Book review, literature introduction, etc., Single Work,  ISSN  2196-7024

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Presentations 【 Display / hide 】

  • Autonomous legal system and peripheral modernity. A systems theoretical interpretation of Japan’s constitutional crisis 2015

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    XXXI IVR World Congress: The Ruele of Law, Justice and the Future of Democracy (Seoul) , 

    2024.07
    , 

    Oral presentation (invited, special), International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy

    　View Summary

    The Japanese government's enforcement of the new national security laws in 2015 provoked a number of controverse in civil society as well as mass and social media in Japan. For Shinzo Abe’s cabinet changed the interpretation of the Constitution over one night. Japanese citizens went repeatedly to demonstration in front of the Diet and other places. It was also said that it showed a split of the Japanese society. In my presentation I will give a systems theoretical interpretation of this event in the contemporary history.
    Generally speaking, the legal system and the political system are closed from each other in modern states. Each system operates highly autonomous and independently according to their own codes (legal/ illegal and majority/ minority) and programs. The Constitution is a touching point between the legal system and the political system. The autonomous closeness of the legal system has been completed by the positivisation of the Constitution. I will appoint out firstly the insufficient positivisation of the Japanese Constitution that bothers elasticity in the Japanese norm system and limits the learning ability of that. Then I will present Marcelo Neves’ concept of peripheral modernity to explain the insufficient positivisation of the Japanese Constitution. This concept could finally provide an instrument to take the spilt of the contemporary Japanese society.

  • Compromise from social theoretical perspective

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    Compromise in Plural Worlds: Comparing Japan and Europe (Essen) , 

    2024.03
    , 

    Oral presentation (invited, special), The interdisciplinary research project “Cultures of Compromise” and the “Agonistic Plurality” project at the Universities of Duisburg- Essen and Münster.

  • Century of the forgiveness. Evolutinary ability of modern social systems and forgiveness

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    Achievements and Perspectives of Cultural and Social Memory Research (Berlin) , 

    2023.09
    , 

    Oral presentation (general)

  • The Crisis of Classical Modernity in Japan and Otaka's Grundlegung

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    Social Theory and Internationalism. Book Launch and Workshop (London) , 

    2023.06
    , 

    Oral presentation (invited, special), University of East London

  • Typen der Erinnerungskultur und Sakralität des Opfers

    Takemitsu Morikawa

    Erinnerungspolitik im Zeichen von Ambiguitätstoleranz (Bonn) , 

    2022.10
    , 

    Oral presentation (invited, special), Erinnerungspolitik im Zeichen von Ambiguitätstoleranz

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Awards 【 Display / hide 】

  • Young Researcher’s Award

    Takemitsu Morikawa, 2002.06, Japan Society for the History of Sociology, "Action, World and Science"

Page Top ▲
 

Courses Taught 【 Display / hide 】

  • WORLD SOCIETY STUDIES

    2024

  • SPECIAL STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY 2

    2024

  • SPECIAL STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY 1

    2024

  • SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE 2

    2024

  • SOCIOLOGY 1

    2024

display all >>

Page Top ▲
 

Memberships in Academic Societies 【 Display / hide 】

  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie, 

    2005.01
    -
    Present

  • Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Soziologie, 

    2010.04
    -
    Present

  • The Japan Sociological Society, 

    2002.04
    -
    Present

  • The Kantoh Sociological Society, 

    2002.04
    -
    Present

  • The Japan Association for the Study on the History of Sociology, 

    2002.04
    -
    Present

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Committee Experiences 【 Display / hide 】

  • 2022.11
    -
    Present

    board member, AK Historische Soziologie der DGS-Sektion Kultursoziologie

  • 2022.01
    -
    Present

    Editor/ Herausgeber, Sociologia Internationalis

  • 2019.10
    -
    Present

    Board member, Section History of Sociology, German Association for Sociology

  • 2019.10
    -
    2023.09

    Board member, DAAD tomonokai

Page Top ▲