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Hasegawa Nyozekan : the pedagogical value of fiction for a political philosopher
| Title: | Hasegawa Nyozekan : the pedagogical value of fiction for a political philosopher |
| Author: | Filler, Stephen |
| Description: | Hasegawa Nyozekan (1875-1969) was a liberal journalist and social critic who worked to popularize democracy, women's suffrage, worker's rights, and other liberal causes while maintaining a highly critical stance against Japanese imperialism and ultranationalism. Nyozekan's Critique of the Modern State and other collections of social criticism are well-known to Japanese historians, but the relationship of his fiction to his social thought has not been seriously explored, despite Nyozekan's wide readership and favorable response to his fiction from such figures as Natsume Sôseki. Nyozekan was heavily influenced by the group of journalists known as the Seikyôsha, who advocated Japan's adaptation of Western ideas and institutions, but insisted that this adaptation should be selective, based on the needs and particular character of the Japanese people. Nyozekan derived many elements of his theory of social evolution from Herbert Spencer, and his literary theory shows a strong Marxist influence. The importance of Nyozekan's upbringing in close proximity to the urban merchant class of Tokyo is also apparent in his literature. Nyozekan saw in this class of people democratic traits such as tolerance and a cooperative spirit which rendered them receptive to liberal ideas. Many of his stories feature members of this class, and the successful use of dialect is one of the outstanding qualities of his fiction. Nyozekan used fiction to promote his liberal agenda, and made use of many of the stylistic techniques of popular to appeal to a mass audience. At the same time his stories deal with abstract social issues in a philosophical way. Perhaps the best way to view his literature is as a form of political essay, which deals with social problems in a vivid and appealing way. |
| Permanent Link: |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1232551554
http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/106838 |
| Date: | 1997 |
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