Chapter XXXI: The Japanese Not Impersonal

The problem stated--Definitions--Remarks on definitions--Characteristics of a person--Impersonality defined--A preliminary summary statement--Definitions of Communalism and Individualism--The argument for "impersonality" from Japanese politeness--Some difficulties of this interpretation--The sociological interpretation of politeness--The significance of Japanese sensitiveness--Altruism as a proof of impersonality--Japanese selfishness and self-assertiveness--Distinction between communal and individualistic altruism--Deficiency of personal pronouns as a proof of impersonality--A possible counter-argument--Substitutes for personal pronouns--Many personal words in Japanese--Origin of pronouns, personal and others--The relation of the social order to the use of personal pronouns--Japanese conceive Nationality only through Personality--"Strong" and "weak" personality--Strong personalities in Japan--Feudalism and strong personalities, 356