Social-ethical Study of "the Public"

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In this research I orientated myself to the human relations in society, and, as their good way that should be, put "the public" into study. In the first place, I, from a meta-ethical standpoint, set up its levels-economic, ethical and political ones, and clarified their specific features respectively, especially regarding their mutual differences. Second, I made it clear that the image of "the public" differed in these levels according to which is preferred to between liberalism and communitarianism as fundamental types of humanity ; specifically pointing out that the former has an affinity for the economic and ethical levels, and the latter for the political. Third, in connection with arguments of Rawls, I made the nature of republicanism clear especially in terms of its difference from communitarianism. Fourth, on the ethical and political levels, I made clear a distinction which lies between an action in the public relation or space and that of "public" there, and then, as a consideration, critically examined the way in which such an action itself is "private." This presupposes an elucidation of what it is to "be ethical" (in a broad sense). In order to clarify this sufficiently, the concept "ethical" itself needs inquiring, which will be the next main subject.As applications of my research, for my fifth inquiry. I considered the environmental and landscape problems, so to speak, as "public ones", and examined how to address them. Finally, I critically analyzed "civic education"-the education of citizens as beings supporting "the public"-, namely its present condition in Japan.