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This is a study belonging to the project for the close reading of the Pansophia, the third part of the 17th century Czech thinker Johannes Amos Comenius's major work in his later years, entitled De rerum humanarum emandatione concultatio catholica. This paper especially considered, through his use of the terms, first, how Comenius perceived differences between religions and ethnicities; second, how he considered the relationship between cultura and barbaria; and third, what he meant by populus, to which he dedicated Pansophia.
The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: While Comenius aspired to universal conversion to Christianity, he also emphasized the universality of human senses, reason, and will, which precede religious principles. While Comenius recognized diversity among nations, he particularly focused on the use of writing as a factor that created cultural disparities between nations. While barbarism was seen as a condition to be overcome, he pointed out, through the examples of European monarchys, that barbarism also lies behind culture. In Japanese studies of Comenius, populus has often been understood in terms of social class. However, this term is frequently used in a religious context and be rather contrasted with intellectuals. The word populous is thought to refer to those who shared his belief that social emendation was possible only through the spread of knowledge to the general public.
Research papers (publications of university or research institution)
