Brotherhood economics: Difference between revisions

[[File:BrotherhoodEconomicsBrotherhoodEcoFinal.png|thumb|307x307px|Brotherhood Economics 1st Edition - Kagawa, Toyohiko - Harper & Brothers, 1936|315x315px]]

'''Brotherhood economics''' ({{lang-ja|兄弟経済}}; [[Hepburn romanization|Hepburn]]: ''{{Transliteration|ja|Kyōdai Keizai''}}) is a socio-economic concept associated with [[Toyohiko Kagawa]], a [[Christianity in Japan|Japanese Christian]] novelist and social reformer. It emerged in response to [[Japanese war crimes|Japanese army atrocities in China]], advocating forand the applicationauthor of Christianthe principlesbook of''Brotherhood loveEconomics'' andpublished compassionin to economic challenges1936. Kagawa, influencedInfluenced by his Christian faith and his aversion to warfare, critiqued prevailing political economies of his time—[[fascism]], [[History of communism in the Soviet Union|Soviet-style communism]], and [[capitalism]]—for their concentration of wealth and power, which he believed perpetuated poverty. He proposed an alternative model where Christian churches, cooperatives, and pacifist organizations collaborate to foster small, local economies grounded in cooperation.

In 1909, while studying at the Kobe Theological Seminary, Kagawa moved to [[Kobe|Kobe's Shinkawa]] slums. Here, he engaged in relief work, aiding thousands of impoverished residents. He identified three major weaknesses among the residents: the physically weak, the mentally weak, and the morally weak. Therefore, a core aspect of his Christian mission involved establishing free medical clinics, educational facilities, and spaces for preaching the gospel.<ref name=":002">Walters, K., & Jarrell, R. (2013). [https://wwwbooks.google.cacom/books/edition/Blessed_Peacemakers/4HNMAwAAQBAJ?hlid=en&gbpv=14HNMAwAAQBAJ&dq=Brotherhood+economics&pg=PA191&printsec=frontcover Blessed Peacemakers: 365 Extraordinary People Who Changed the World] (p. 191). Cascade Books.</ref><ref>{{sfn|Kagawa, T. (|1936). Brotherhood Economics (|p. =12). New York, NY: Harper & Brothers.</ref>}}

In 1914, he traveled to the United States to enroll at [[Princeton Theological Seminary]] for three years, pursuing studies in divinity.<ref name=":02">Walters, K., & Jarrell, R. (2013). [https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Blessed_Peacemakers/4HNMAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Brotherhood+economics&pg=PA191&printsec=frontcover Blessed Peacemakers: 365 Extraordinary People Who Changed the World] (p. 191). Cascade Books.</ref><ref name=":12">Robinson, G., & Tao, B. (2021, March 12). Laying Down the Law of Love: The 1936 American Tour of Toyohiko Kagawa. Discover Nikkei. https://discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2021/3/12/toyohiko-kagawa/</ref> While there he observed the nearby New York City slums and the workings of urban labor unions.<ref>Howlett, C. F., Peterson, C. P., Hostetter, D. L., & Buffton, D. D. (Eds.). (2023). [https://wwwbooks.google.cacom/books/edition/The_Oxford_Handbook_of_Peace_History/jiPJEAAAQBAJ?hlid=en&gbpv=1jiPJEAAAQBAJ&dq=Brotherhood+Economics&pg=PA514&printsec=frontcover The Oxford Handbook of Peace History] (p. 496). Oxford University Press.</ref>

Kagawa returned to Japan and actively participated in peace initiatives, advocated for labor unions, promoted environmental conservation, and supported the movement for [[universal suffrage]]. He faced multiple arrests for his activities, which he viewed as obligations aligned with the principles of a Christian "[[Parable of the Good Samaritan|Good Samaritan]].". During his periods of imprisonment, Kagawa dedicated his time to writing.<ref name=":002" />

In the early 1920s, Kagawa encountered disagreements with radical labor union leaders due to his assertion that spiritual reform must accompany authentic social and economic reform.<ref>{{sfn|Hastings, T. J. (|2015). [https://books.google.ca/books?id|p=glOnBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA195&lpg=PA195&dq=The+book+is+based+on+Kagawas+April+1936+Rau-schenbusch+Lectures+at+Colgate-Rochester+Divinity+School,+originally+entitled+%22Christian+Brotherhood+and+Economic+Reconstruction.%22&source=bl&ots=H4CyzAUkyJ&sig=ACfU3U3SPNvp4YBm8SK8SgtSfW4Jvm5A4A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQveTy3veFAxWHkYkEHa2mD4AQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=The%20book%20is%20based%20on%20Kagawas%20April%201936%20Rau-schenbusch%20Lectures%20at%20Colgate-Rochester%20Divinity%20School%2C%20originally%20entitled%20%22Christian%20Brotherhood%20and%20Economic%20Reconstruction.%22&f=false Seeing All Things Whole: The Scientific Mysticism and Art of Kagawa Toyohiko (1888-1960)] (p. 195). Wipf and Stock Publishers.</ref> }}

As he became more influenced by the gradualist ideas of [[Guild socialism|British Guild Socialists]] and the cooperative movement of the [[Rochdale and District Weavers', Reelers', Beamers' and Doublers' Association|Rochdale Weavers]], he started advocating for cooperative economics as a favorable option compared to both communism and capitalism.{{sfn|Hastings|2015|p=195}} In 1922, Kagawa declared himself as a "Guild Socialist" in terms of his political views, his approach is non-militant, and he could be described as a "passivist,", strictly adhering to peaceful methods.<ref>Kagawa, T. (1922). [https://assets-global.website-files.com/611355694ea5a53302a00def/628d91dbb44891c17492a68c_Across-The-Death-Line_sample.pdf Across the Death-Line]. Kobe: Japan Chronicle Office. (I. Fukumoto & T. Satchell, Trans.).</ref>

Kagawa published "''Brotherhood Economics''" in 1936, wherein according to him he further develops the themes initially presented in four lectures titled "Christian Brotherhood and Economic Reconstruction." at [[Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School|Colgate-Rochester Divinity School]] in April 1936.{{sfn|Kagawa|1936|p=x}}

Kagawa advocates for the establishment of seven types of cooperatives: health and life insurance, producers', marketing, credit, mutual aid, public utility, and consumers'. These cooperatives would serve as the foundation of the legislative body within the political state he envisions, emphasizing the necessity of Christian principles for its realization. He contends that without the development of a Christian brotherhood, an ideal economic society cannot be achieved, distinguishing his vision from socialism, communism, and capitalism's exploitative nature.

The inception of student co-ops traces back to Gainesville, Florida, and Austin, Texas, in the 1890s, initially as dining clubs. However, the concept of cooperative student housing gained traction during the [[Great Depression]], spurred by economic hardships that prompted students to seek innovative solutions. A pivotal moment occurred with a speaking tour led by Japanese co-op advocate Toyohiko Kagawa, arranged by the student Christian movement. Kagawa's lectures on "Brotherhood Economics,", emphasizing the potential of cooperatives to foster social, political, and economic justice, resonated deeply at state universities in Berkeley, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, and Toronto. These presentations inspired students to establish co-op housing organizations, which have since evolved to accommodate hundreds of students.<ref>Altenberg, L. (1988). Students Take Over Dormitories [Graphic by L. Leland]. ''The Missing Link''. Duke University. Retrieved from https://dynamics.org/Altenberg/PAPERS/STOD/</ref>

[[File:Conférence de 1947 à Chéticamp.jpg|thumb|The cooperative movement conference in Chéticamp, Nova Scotia (Canada), 1947.]]

In the context of Atlantic Canada, the implementation of Brotherhood economics within cooperatives posed challenges for women, described by Mary Ellicott Arnold as a significant obstacle to navigate. Despite the inherently patriarchal structure of these institutions, some women were able to assert agency in fulfilling their own needs, a departure from the prevailing norm where women typically accepted what was offered to them. While these individual initiatives did not fully realize the cooperatives' vision of gender equality nor dismantle male dominance within the cooperatives, they did afford certain women the opportunity to exert degrees of social and economic influence within these structures.<ref>{{sfn|Neal, R. (|1998). [https://books.google.ca/books?hl|p=en&lr=&id=OgYC-Yf5l18C&oi=fnd&pg=PA5&dq=%22Brotherhood+Economics%22+%22kagawa%22&ots=yLldKG5U7h&sig=FNzxd2cKoKu33O3HmxLLaLi5Hn4#v=onepage&q=%22Brotherhood%20Economics%22%20%22kagawa%22&f=false Brotherhood Economics: Women and Co-operatives in Nova Scotia] (p. 25). Canada: UCCB Press. ISBN: 9780920336656, 0920336655.</ref>}}

== Further readingReferences ==