The Way of Which Warriors? Bushidō & the Samurai in Historical Perspective

Modern commentators have too often attempted to treat bushidō as an enduring code of behaviour readily encapsulated in simplistic notions of honour, duty, and loyalty. The historical reality, however, is anything but simple. Samurai ethics and behavioural norms varied significantly from era to era—m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Karl FRIDAY
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani (Ljubljana University Press, Faculty of Arts) 2018-06-01
Series:Asian Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revije.ff.uni-lj.si/as/article/view/7623
Description
Summary:Modern commentators have too often attempted to treat bushidō as an enduring code of behaviour readily encapsulated in simplistic notions of honour, duty, and loyalty. The historical reality, however, is anything but simple. Samurai ethics and behavioural norms varied significantly from era to era—most especially across the transition from the medieval to early modern age—and in most cases bore scant resemblance to twentieth-century fantasies about samurai comportment.
ISSN:2232-5131
2350-4226