Another History of Japanese Thought! With the birth of the modern nation-state, theories of honorifics emerged in Japan. Yamada Takao and others constructed a "theory of honorifics of respect" against the backdrop of the burgeoning construction of "the nation-state of Japan." A decade or so later, Tokiida Seiki developed a "theory of honorifics of relational recognition," criticizing Yamada, who inherited the class system and national learning. And now, a new horizon for theories of honorifics, centered on politeness theory, is coming into view... Why are there so many theories of honorifics? What are honorifics in the first place? This book seeks to find answers to such questions. It is an ambitious work that comprehensively re-examines the history of Japanese honorific theories as a history of thought and presents future prospects. Excerpt The main theme of this book is the question itself: "What are honorifics?" The answer to this question has changed over time. On one hand, it is likely a reflection of the fact that the nature of honorifics themselves has changed with the times. However, more than that, the changes in the image of honorifics seem to more strongly reflect the fact that discussions about honorifics have been susceptible to the demands of the era. While a theory cannot be constructed without an image of honorifics, in Japanese honorific research, the framework of the theory of honorifics is directly linked to the answer to "What are honorifics?". Therefore, honorifics and theories of honorifics must be considered simultaneously. This is why the book is titled "Theories of Japanese Honorifics." From this perspective, this book attempts to re-examine honorific research from a historical perspective of thought, confirm the framework of honorific theories up to the present, and sketch out how the present and future of honorifics can be envisioned. (From "Introduction")