This thesis is a Nietzschean analysis of Meiji Restoration hero Sakamoto Ryoma (1835 - 1867). It discusses the life and times of Sakamoto and basic theories of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900). It argues that despite vastly different historical, cultural, and ideological backgrounds, Sakamoto and Nietzsche were modern men with similar ideas, and that Sakamoto lived those ideas. The author demonstrates that Sakamoto perceived Confucianism-based social and political systems under Tokugawa feudalism as threatening to Japan’s sovereignty in an age of Western imperialism, and that through a Nietzschean “will to power” and resolve to “live dangerously” he helped overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. The paper compares Sakamoto’s rejection of Confucian-samurai values with Nietzsche’s rejection of Christian values, and Nietzsche’s announcement of the death of God with Sakamoto’s heralding of the death of Tokugawa feudalism. Pointing out the importance that Sakamoto and Nietzsche placed on truth, individualism, self-reliance, and self-determination, the paper argues that Sakamoto, embodying Nietzsche’s “higher man,” created new values and embraced ideas resembling Nietzsche’s doctrine of free death to overcome chaos and create meaning through revolution.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis is a Nietzschean analysis of Meiji Restoration hero Sakamoto Ryoma (1835 - 1867). It discusses the life and times of Sakamoto and basic theories of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900). It argues that despite vastly different historical, cultural, and ideological backgrounds, Sakamoto and Nietzsche were modern men with similar ideas, and that Sakamoto lived those ideas. The author demonstrates that Sakamoto perceived Confucianism-based social and political systems under Tokugawa feudalism as threatening to Japan’s sovereignty in an age of Western imperialism, and that through a Nietzschean “will to power” and resolve to “live dangerously” he helped overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. The paper compares Sakamoto’s rejection of Confucian-samurai values with Nietzsche’s rejection of Christian values, and Nietzsche’s announcement of the death of God with Sakamoto’s heralding of the death of Tokugawa feudalism. Pointing out the importance that Sakamoto and Nietzsche placed on truth, individualism, self-reliance, and self-determination, the paper argues that Sakamoto, embodying Nietzsche’s “higher man,” created new values and embraced ideas resembling Nietzsche’s doctrine of free death to overcome chaos and create meaning through revolution.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cohen, Jeff"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"Master's Thesis","degree_discipline":"Humanities","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Martin Anderson, JD, PhD","Philip Novak, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2007-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:06:07Z","subjects":["Humanities","Arts and Humanities"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.dominican.edu/humanities-print-theses/262","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Martin Anderson, JD, PhD","Philip Novak, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cohen, Jeff"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Humanities"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Humanities","Arts and Humanities"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/humanities-print-theses/262"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis is a Nietzschean analysis of Meiji Restoration hero Sakamoto Ryoma (1835 - 1867). It discusses the life and times of Sakamoto and basic theories of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900). It argues that despite vastly different historical, cultural, and ideological backgrounds, Sakamoto and Nietzsche were modern men with similar ideas, and that Sakamoto lived those ideas. The author demonstrates that Sakamoto perceived Confucianism-based social and political systems under Tokugawa feudalism as threatening to Japan’s sovereignty in an age of Western imperialism, and that through a Nietzschean “will to power” and resolve to “live dangerously” he helped overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. The paper compares Sakamoto’s rejection of Confucian-samurai values with Nietzsche’s rejection of Christian values, and Nietzsche’s announcement of the death of God with Sakamoto’s heralding of the death of Tokugawa feudalism. Pointing out the importance that Sakamoto and Nietzsche placed on truth, individualism, self-reliance, and self-determination, the paper argues that Sakamoto, embodying Nietzsche’s “higher man,” created new values and embraced ideas resembling Nietzsche’s doctrine of free death to overcome chaos and create meaning through revolution.
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"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/humanities-print-theses/262"],"dc:subject":["Humanities","Arts and Humanities"],"dc:title":["Sakamoto Ryoma: the Nietzschean hero of the Meiji Restoration"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Humanities"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:06:07Z"}