The Structure of Detachment: The Aesthetic Vision of Kuki Shuzo: With a Translation of Iki no kozo

by Hiroshi Nara

Published in 1930, when Japan was struggling to define and assert its national and cultural identity, The Structure of Iki (Iki no kozo) re-introduced the Japanese to a sophisticated tradition of urbane and spirited stylishness (iki) that was forged in the Edo period. Upon his return from Europe, Kuki Shuzo (1888-1941) made use of the new theoretical frameworks based on Western Continental methodology to redefine iki's significance in Japanese society and culture. By applying Heidegger's hermeneutics to this cultural phenomenon, he attempted to recast traditional understanding in the context of Western aesthetic theory and reestablish the centrality of a purely Japanese sense of "taste." Because of its impact on the modern Japanese understanding of traditional culture and character, The Structure of Iki has inspired great interest and debate among scholars examining Kuki's role in the formation of a national aesthetics in the years prior to World War II. The three critical essays that accompany this new translation of The Structure of Iki look at various aspects of Kuki, his work, and the historical context that influenced his thinking. Hiroshi Nara first traces Kuki's interest in a philosophy of life through his exposure to Husserl, Heidegger, and Bergson. In the second essay, J. Thomas Rimer compels readers to reexamine The Structure of Iki as a work in the celebrated tradition of zuihitsu (stream-of-consciousness writings) and takes into account French literary influences on Kuki. The philosopher's controversial link with Heidegger is explored by Jon Mark Mikkelsen in the final essay.

Genres: Philosophy, Japan

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame someone more qualified than me hasn't written a review of this. Kuki is a fascinating figure in modern Japanese aesthetics, and this short book is fairly easy going, when he's not having implied discussions with Heidegger or trying to interest you in many, many, many different fabric patterns which may or may not have iki. The volume itself is very well done, with exhaustive notes, including images of those fabric patterns and explanations of Heidegger. What we badly need is a biography of Kuki, whose life was fascinating.