Tanaka Kotaro

A legal scholar born in Kagoshima Prefecture. Graduated from the German Law Department of the Faculty of Law, Tokyo Imperial University. He has made many achievements in the fields of commercial law and legal philosophy. His work on the essence of commercial law, "Commercial Color Theory," is particularly well-known. His three-volume "Theory of World Law," which analyzes and synthesizes the existing legal order system based on the legal philosophy of natural law and explores the possibility of a unified law that is universal to human society around the world, is highly regarded as a masterpiece. He also served as a professor and dean of the Faculty of Law at Tokyo Imperial University, and in 1946 (Showa 21), he served as the Minister of Education in the first Yoshida Cabinet, a member of the Imperial House of Peers, and a member of the House of Councilors. In 1950, he became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, where he emphasized the independence of the judicial power and warned against "criticism of the courts." He also served as a judge on the International Court of Justice. A Catholic, he has written many books and essays on religion, art, education, etc., including "Law, Religion, and Social Life" and "Be a Good Neighbor."

[Toda Shuzo]

"Tanaka Kotaro - His Person and Achievements" edited by Suzuki Takeo (1977, Yuhikaku)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

法学者。鹿児島県生まれ。東京帝国大学法科大学独法科卒業。商法、法哲学の分野における業績が多い。とくに商法本質論における『商的色彩論』は有名。自然法主義の法哲学を基礎として、現存する法秩序体系を分析総合し、世界人類社会に普遍的な法の統一可能性を探究した『世界法の理論』三巻は、名著として評価が高い。また東京帝国大学教授、同法学部長のほか、1946年（昭和21）第一次吉田内閣の文部大臣、勅選貴族院議員、参議院議員を経て、50年最高裁判所長官に就任、司法権の独立を強調して「裁判批判」を戒めた。また、国際司法裁判所判事としても活躍した。カトリック信者であり、『法と宗教と社会生活』『善き隣人たれ』など宗教・芸術・教育などに関する著書、論文も多い。

［戸田修三］

『鈴木竹雄編『田中耕太郎――人と業績』（1977・有斐閣）』

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