Akira Yamada facts for kids
Akira Yamada (born March 7, 1922 – died February 29, 2008) was an important Japanese scholar. He studied and taught about philosophy from Western Europe, especially from the Middle Ages. He was also a member of the Japan Academy, which is a very respected group of scholars in Japan.
His Life and Career
Akira Yamada graduated from Kyoto Imperial University in 1944. He studied philosophy there. After finishing his studies, he began a long career teaching at universities.
- In 1951, he started as an instructor at Osaka City University.
- By 1955, he became an assistant professor at Osaka City University.
- In 1965, he moved to Kyoto University as an assistant professor.
- He became a full professor at Kyoto University in 1968.
- From 1976, he was the Director of the Department of Literature at Kyoto University.
- In 1985, he became a professor emeritus at Kyoto University. This means he retired but was still honored for his work.
- He then taught at Nanzan University from 1985 to 1997. He was first a professor and then a lecturer there.
His Important Work
Yamada was well-known for his deep studies of important historical thinkers. These included Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. He wrote many books about their ideas. He also helped to edit and translate their original writings. This made their ideas available to more people.
In 1987, Yamada won the Osaragi Jirou Award. He received this award for his book called Lectures on Augustinus.
Akira Yamada passed away in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, on February 29, 2008. He was 85 years old.
Books He Wrote
All of these books were written in Japanese.
- The Fundamental Problems of Augustinus - 1st Book of Studies on Medieval Philosophy, (1977), Soubunsha, ISBN: 4-423-17005-1
- The Studies on Thomas Aquinas' ESSE - 2nd Book of Studies on Medieval Philosophy, (1978), Soubunsha, ISBN: 4-423-30038-9
- The One Who is the One Existing - 3rd Book of Studies on Medieval Philosophy, (1979), Soubunsha
- The Studies on Thomas Aquinas' RES - 4th Book of Studies on Medieval Philosophy, (1986), Soubunsha
- Poem Anthology - The Songs of Morning and Evening, (1986), Shinchi shobou
- Lectures on Augustinus, (1986), Shinchi shobou, ISBN: 4-88018-118-8
- The Christology of Thomas Aquinas, (1999), Soubunsha, ISBN: 4-423-30106-7
Translations and Other Works
Akira Yamada also helped translate important philosophical texts.
- Thomas Aquinas Summa Thelogiae, Soubunsha. Yamada translated many parts of this large work.
- The World Fine Books, 14th vol. - Augustinus, edited and translated by Yamada, (1968), Chuou-Kouronsha, ISBN: 4-12-400094-4
- The World Fine Books, 2nd season, 5th vol. - Thomas Aquinas, edited and translated by Yamada, (1975), Chuou-Kouronsha, ISBN: 4-12-400094-4
