Mei Wending (b. 1633, Xuangcheng, Anhui province, China—d. 1721, China) Chinese writer on astronomy and mathematics whose work rep¬ resented an association of Chinese and Western knowledge. In his com¬ parative study, Lixue yiwen (c. 1701; “Inquiry on Mathematical Astronomy”), Mei tried to situate the new European knowledge properly within the historical framework of Chinese knowledge. In Jihe bubian (“Complements of Geometry”) he calculated the volumes and relative dimensions of regular and semi-regular polyhedrons by traditional Chi¬ nese methods. Mei helped rehabilitate traditional Chinese mathematics. The comprehensive collection of his works, Lisuan quanshu, was pub¬ lished in 1723.
Meidias \'ma-de-9s\ Painter (fl. c. 420-400 bc, Greece) Greek vase painter known for his theatrical “florid” style. A large hydria (water ves¬ sel) with scenes from the rape of the daughters of Leucippus and of Her¬ acles in the garden of the Hesperides, now in the British Museum, is representative of his work.
Meier \'ml-3r\, Richard (Alan) (b. Oct. 12, 1934, Newark, N.J., U.S.) U.S. architect. Educated at Cornell University, Meier’s early experience included work with the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and with Mar¬ cel Breuer. Early in his career he executed a series of spectacular private residences. These houses typically feature refinements of and variations on classic Modernist principles—pure geometry, open space, and an emphasis on light—and they often display a crisp whiteness that contrasts sharply with the natural setting; the Douglas House, Harbor Springs, Mich. (1973), is a dramatically sited example. Building upon the success of his resi¬ dences, beginning in the mid 1970s Meier began to receive large public commissions. These structures are characterized by geometric clarity and order, which is often punctuated by curving ramps and railings, and by a contrast between the light-filled, transparent surfaces of public spaces and the solid white surfaces of interior, private spaces. His Getty Center in Los Angeles (1984-97), with its terraced gardens, is a resplendent acropolis in travertine stone. Meier received the 1984 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Meiji \'ma-je\ Constitution Constitution of Japan from 1890 to 1947. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), Japan’s leaders sought to create a con¬ stitution that would define Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving their own power. The resultant docu¬ ment called for a bicameral parliament (the Diet) with an elected lower
house and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor. The emperor was granted supreme control of the army and navy. A privy council composed of the Meiji leaders (see genro), created prior to the constitution, advised the emperor and wielded actual power. Voting restrictions, which limited the electorate to about 5% of the adult male population, were loosened over the next 25 years, resulting in universal male suffrage. Political parties made the most of their limited power in the 1920s, but in the 1930s the military was able to exert control without violating the constitution. After World War II, a U.S.-approved constitu¬ tion stating that “sovereign power resides with the people” replaced the Meiji Constitution. See also Ito Hirobumi.
Meiji emperor orig. Mutsuhito (b. Nov. 3, 1852, Kyoto, Japan—d. July 30, 1912, Tokyo) Emperor of Japan during whose reign (1867-1912) the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown, Japan was transformed into a world power, and the imperial throne came to the forefront of the politi¬ cal scene after centuries of being overshadowed by shogunal rule. He believed in the need to modernize Japan along Western lines. Under the Meiji emperor the domains (ban) and old class system were abolished, a new school system was introduced, and the Meiji Constitution was pro¬ mulgated. Also during his reign Taiwan was annexed after the SlNO- Japanese War (1894-95), Korea was annexed (1910), and Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05). See also Tokugawa period; Meiji period; Meiji Restoration.
Meiji period (1868-1912) Period in Japanese history beginning with the enthronment of the Meiji emperor and ending with his death. It was a time of rapid modernization and westernization. Feudal domains were abolished and replaced with prefectures; daimyo and samurai were relieved of their special privileges. Not all samurai were happy with the changes, and there were numerous rebellions, notably that of Saigo Takamori. To secure a strong central government, a national army was formed and uni¬ versal conscription was enacted. A new agricultural tax was instituted to finance the new government, and a decimal currency was introduced. Eager to encourage economic growth, the government aided the textile industry, established railways and shipping lines, and founded an iron¬ works. Education was also reformed, and compulsory coeducational elementary schools were introduced. By 1912 the goals of the reforming movement called the Meiji Restoration had been largely accomplished: the unequal treaties with Western powers had been revised, the country was developing well economically, and its military power had won the respect of the West. See also Charter Oath; Meiji Constitution.
Meiji Restoration Overthrow of Japan’s Tokugawa shogunate (see Tokugawa period) and restoration of direct imperial rule (through the Meiji emperor) in 1868. In the 19th century the shogunate’s policy of isolation was challenged by Russia, England, and the U.S., making Japanese feu¬ dal leaders aware of Japan’s vulnerability to superior Western firepower. After the visit of Commodore Matthew Perry, the country was forced to sign a series of unequal treaties, which, as in China, gave Western nations special privileges in Japan. In response, young samurai from feudal domains historically hostile to the Tokugawa regime took up arms against the government. In January 1868 they announced the restoration of the emperor to power, and in May 1869 the last Tokugawa forces surrendered. The revolutionaries had the emperor issue the Charter Oath, which prom¬ ised a break with the feudal class restrictions of the past and a search for knowledge that could transform Japan into a “rich country with a strong military.” The restoration ushered in the Meiji period, a time of rapid mod¬ ernization and Westernization. See also ChoshO; Ii Naosuke; Okubo Toshimi- chi; Saigo Takamori; Satsuma; Tosa.
Meillet\me-'ye\, Antoine (b. Nov. 11,1866, Moulins, France—d. Sept. 21, 1936, Chateaumeillant) French linguist. He argued that any attempt to account for linguistic change must recognize that language is a social phe¬ nomenon. His Introduction to the Comparative Study of the Indo-European Languages (1903) explained the relationships of the Indo-European lan¬ guages to each other and to their parent tongue. Meillet suggested that lan¬ guages that develop farther from a centre of common origin are less disturbed by changes at the point of origin and more likely to retain archaic characteristics. He produced authoritative grammars of classical Armenian and Old Iranian and made notable contributions to Slavic studies.
Meinhof \ , mIn- l hof\ / Carl (b. July 23, 1857, Barzwitz, near Schlawe, Pomerania, Prussia—d. Feb. 10, 1944, Greifswald, Ger.) German scholar of African languages. A specialist in the Bantu languages who also stud¬ ied Khoisan and other African language families, he was one of the first
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to treat African languages in terms of phonetics and morphology. His books include Outline of the Phonetics of the Bantu Languages (1899) and Principles of the Comparative Grammar of the Bantu Languages (1906).
Meinona Vml-noqV Alexius, Ritter (knight) von Hand- schuchsheim (b. July 17, 1853, Lemberg, Galicia, Austrian Empire—d. Nov. 27, 1920, Graz, Austria) Austrian philosopher and psy¬ chologist. He taught at the University of Graz from 1889 until his death. Like his teacher Franz Brentano, Meinong considered intentionality, or object-directedness, to be the basic feature of mental states. He maintained that objects of thought have a kind of character or nature ( Sosein ; some¬ times rendered “subsistence”) that is distinct from being, or existence (Sein), which they may lack; thus the golden mountain or the round square “subsist” as objects of thought, though they do not exist in the world of sense experience. Meinong’s view briefly influenced Bertrand Russell. His major writings include On Possibility and Probability (1915) and On Emotional Presentation (1917).