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191. 359: Politics and Thought in Modern Japan

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191. 359: Politics and Thought in Modern Japan 1 Nobutaka Otobe Department of Political Science Johns Hopkins University Office hours and location: Thursday 2-4pm, Dunning 411 191. 359: Politics and Thought in Modern Japan Wednesday 3pm-5:30pm, Krieger 300 Course Description: In a non-Western country that had been rapidly accumulating Western ideas and institutions, Japanese thinkers were troubled by the tension and conflict among the “Japanese” tradition, the “Asian” tradition, and the “modern West” (as for them, being modern meant being Western). For example, being loyal to “Japanese” identity means to take a distance from the “modern West” as well as differentiating Japan from the rest of Asia. In this course, we examine how this internal conflict affected politics and thought, focusing on three crucial periods in modern Japanese history: 1) from the Meiji restoration (1867) to the (first) Sino- Japanese war (1895), the period that starts with modernization and ends with the acquisition of the first colony (Taiwan); 2) from the Manchurian Incident (1931) to the end of WWII (1945), the period of the invasion into Asia under the name of “Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” and what they called the “War against the West”; 3) the post-WWII period (1945-), the time of (re-)modernization and democratization under American initiative. Examining the Japanese thinkers around WWII, this course works alongside two fronts; Japan’s self- narrative between the “West” and “Asia” behind East Asian politics, and the cross-cultural encounter between the “West” and “non-West.” Working on these two fronts will give us insights relevant to some of the most critical issues in politics. For example, in terms of East-Asian politics, we will see how Japanese self-narrative vis-à-vis the “West” and “Asia” affects the recent conflicts over the memory and responsibility of WWII. Also, the history of modern Japanese identity will offer a good case to understand the cultural and political conflicts over modernization in the name of “Globalization” or “Americanization,” the conflicts still going on in current world politics. Prerequisites: Prior experience of courses either in East Asian politics or in East Asian history is preferred, but not necessary. Required Books: Naoki Sakai, Translation and Subjectivity: On Japan and Cultural Nationalism, University of Minnesota Press, 1997. Yoshimi Takeuchi, What is Modernity: Writings of Takeuchi Yoshimi, Richard Calichman ed. and trans., Columbia UP, 2004.. Ian Buruma, Inventing Japan: 1853-1964, Modern Library, 2004. Yukio Mishima, Patriotism, New Directions Publishing, 1966. 2 *Other assigned materials are available through JHU network or Library’s reserve. The password for electronic reserve is oto359. Recommended Books: Fred Dallmayr, Beyond Orientalism: Essays on Cross-Cultural Encounter, SUNY Press, 1996. Richard Calichman ed. and trans., Overcoming Modernity, Columbia UP, 2008. Keiji Nishitani, Religion and Nothingness, University of California Press, 1983. Tetsuo Najita, Japan: The Intellectual Foundations of Modern Japanese Politics, University of Chicago Press, 1974. De Barry, Gluck, and Tidemann eds, Sources of Japanese Tradition, second edition, vol. 2, Columbia UP, 2005. Requirements and Grading: Four Short Commentaries (25%) FOUR short commentaries (2-3 pages, double-spaced) on the readings of a particular week. You can choose which ones you wish to write on but do not leave them all to the last three weeks of the class. Try and cover some of the early weeks of the class since that will help discussion. In the commentary, you are to pick up some of the readings of the week (but not solely on Buruma’s book) in order to compare and contrast major themes within them. In addition, a successful commentary will connect these themes with the readings or themes covered in previous weeks, and, when possible, to pose additional questions. Commentary should be submitted by midnight of the day before the class (TUESDAY MIDNIGHT). Presentation (25%) Students will be required to give a brief (10 minutes) presentation, based on the main points and themes of the week's readings, to be submitted in writing to me the day before the class. The presentation will summarize the main points of the readings and pose questions, intended for fostering discussion in the class. Final Paper (40%) The final paper will be more than 10 pages in length, due during the exam period. In this paper you will pick at least one of the Japanese thinkers taken up in the course, critically assessing his thought in a larger political and/or theoretical perspective. Beyond that, you are free to frame the question and approach. For example, you may compare him with other thinkers or theorists taken up both in and outside this course. Alternatively, you may locate him in a broader historical context. All students are required to meet with me to discuss their chosen topic before the final class. Participation (10%) Regular attendance and contribution to class discussions are essential to this seminar course. Participation will be judged in terms of both quality and quantity. Students who miss class, for any reason, will be required to prepare a brief, critical summary of the week's readings (2 pages), due the following week. 3 Notes on Academic Ethics: The official Ethics Statement: “The Strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations include cheating on exams, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devises, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery, and falsification, lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition.” For more information, please see http://ethics.jhu.edu. Schedule: Part I: Introduction Week 1. Japan’s Modernization and her Ambiguous Attitude toward “Asia” and “the West” The first class will be an introduction to the course. We will also discuss the students’ expectations to the course, the overall requirement of the course, and basic interpretive and argumentative skills. Week 2. Orientalism, Postcoloniality, and Inter-Cultural Dialogue Before moving to examination of specific Japanese thinkers, we will learn approaches to the study of non- Western political thought. The texts assigned offer several approaches, while all emphasizing the importance of understanding the burden of Western ideas for non-Westerners. Reading: Samuel Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations?” in Foreign Affairs, Vol. 72, No. 3, 1993, pp. 22-49 [28 pages]: Electronic version is available via Hopkins network. Fareed Zakaria, “Culture is Destiny: A Conversation with Lee Kuan Yew,” in Foreign Affairs, Vol. 73, No. 2, 1994, pp. 109-26 [18 pages]: Electronic version is available via Hopkins network. Fred Dallmayr, “Beyond Monologue: For a Comparative Political Theory,” in Perspectives on Politics, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2004, pp. 249-257 [8 pages]: Electronic version is available via Hopkins network. Alasdair MacIntyre, “Individual and Social Morality in Japan and the United States: Rival Conceptions of the Self,” in Philosophy East and West, Vol. 40, No. 4 (October 1990), pp. 489-97 [9 pages]: Electronic version is available via Hopkins network. Carol Breckenridge and Peter van der Veer, “Orientalism and the Postcolonial Predicament,” in Orientalism and the Postcolonial Predicament, Breckenridge and van der Veer eds., University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993 [19pages] Naoki Sakai, Translation and Subjectivity, Chapter 2 [32 pages] Recommended Reading: Edward Said, Orientalism, Vintage, 1979, Introduction and Chapter 1, Section 1 [48pages]. Fred Dallmayr, Beyond Orientalism, Introduction, Chapter 1 & 7 [73 pages]. 4 Week 3. Tokugawa Japan: Politics and Thought in Early Modern Japan Before examining modern Japanese politics and thought, we will briefly look at Japan before her modernization. The main points here are (1) to understand how they are different from our (modern) conceptions, and (2) to see how some of the characteristics persist through re-interpretations after her modernization. Reading: Ian Buruma, Inventing Japan, Chapter 1 [24 pages]. Tetsuo Najita, Japan: The Intellectual Foundations of Modern Japanese Politics, University of Chicago Press, 1974, Chapters 2 & 3 [53 pages]. Harry Harootunian, “The Functions of China in Tokugawa Thought,” Akira Iriye ed., The Chinese and the Japanese, Princeton UP, pp. 9-37 [28 pages]. Recommended Reading: John Fairbank, “A Preliminary Framework,” Fairbank ed., The Chinese World Order, Harvard UP, 1968, pp. 1-19 [20 pages]. Part II: From the Meiji Restoration to the Sino-Japanese War The first period we examine is the one from 1867 to 1895. During this period, Japan’s modernization/westernization starting from the Meiji restoration (1867) resulted in winning her first large- scale modern warfare, the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-5. This marks a critical point of Japanese history for several reasons: politically, it meant Japan’s emergence as a modern colonial power (Japan acquired her first colonies through the war); culturally, the war appeared to the Japanese as evidence of the supremacy of their westernized state over China, which had been the political and cultural authority until the Meiji restoration. In the following three weeks, we will look at how the contemporary intellectuals understood modernization and Asia. Week 4. Yukichi Fukuzawa: Enlightenment through the Modern Western Learning As a representative figure of Japanese modernization and westernization after the Restoration,
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