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I have elsewhere advocated ‘the study of life’ as a comprehensive approach to all the problems arising from our attitudes toward life, the life of humans and of all other living creatures (1). We should regard these problems as a set of interconnected ethical-social issues, because all these matters have been caused by the fundamental invasion of scientific technology into the realm of ‘life’ on this planet. Today we face, on the one hand, global environmental issues such as the destruction of the ozone layer, and on the other hand, ethical problems arising from medical technology such as those associated with freezing early human embryos that are only a few cells. However it is also true that it has caused a number of problems and crises concerning our attitudes toward life and the environment. It has developed through this century, and as a result, it has brought us great benefits and conveniences. Modern civilization is characterized by industrialization and advanced scientific technology. SCIENTIFIC TECHNOLOGY, LIFE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT *Page numbers in the original are marked by. Keywords: LIFE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MODERN CIVILIZATION, NATURE, JAPANESE THOUGHT, BUDDHISM, CONFUCIANISM, BIOETHICS, ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS, HUMAN ECOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION. ( Received 17 August 1990, accepted 1 November 1990) Finally a brief outline of the study of life is presented, suggesting a new way to approach bioethics and discussions on environmental issues. Some philosophical and metaphysical interpretations of the concept of inochi are then proposed. I first discuss the linguistic meanings of the word, and then consider several important features of the images of inochi that have appeared in publications and responses from questionnaires on this topic. However, the nuances of the Japanese term differ in certain cases, and therefore I have chosen to use the term much as is. In English the word Inochi can be rendered as "life". The objective of this paper is to contribute to the international discussions on life and scientific technology by examining the images and concepts of life in contemporary Japan. The Review of Life Studies Vol.2 (April 2012):23-62 Japan Review vol.2 (1991):83-115 under the title “The Concept of Inochi: A Philosophical Perspective on the Study of Life.” The Concept of Life in Contemporary Japan Philosophical study of life, death, and nature