The lecture originally scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 3:00 PM.
Over the past 30 years of the post-Cold War and globalization era, the concept of "region" has undergone significant re-bordering transformations. Consequently, the intellectual framework of "area studies"—its content and methods—has also been reshaped, transcending boundaries and evolving into what can now be termed the era of "post-area studies."
To mark its 20th anniversary, the SNU Institute for Japanese Studies has organized a series of seven lectures featuring leading experts across various fields to explore the future of "Japan" and "Japanese Studies."
For the seventh and final lecture in the series, we are honored to host Takashi Fujitani, Professor Emeritus of Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies and History at the University of Toronto.
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 3:00 PM ~ 5:00 PM
Location: SNU Graduate School of International Studies, International Conference Room (Bldg. 140-2, Room 401) & Zoom
Zoom ID: 583 289 8745
Zoom Link: https://snu-ac-kr.zoom.us/j/
No prior registration required.
Speaker: Takashi Fujitani (Professor Emeritus of Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies and History at the University of Toronto)
Title: Promise of Freedom: Rethinking Modernity through Japan
Language: English
Abstract:
Reflecting on the long 20th century, which began in the late 19th century and continues to the present, it has become increasingly evident that "freedom" is not always the antithesis of oppression and domination.
As Michel Foucault and critics of liberalism have demonstrated, "freedom" often serves as a condition for the exercise of power.
One of the most striking examples of the relationship between freedom and power in modern Japanese history is the Japanese Empire's promise to liberate the peoples of the Asia-Pacific region from the chains of Euro-American colonialism and racism.
However, this relationship between promises of freedom and new forms of oppression has been a recurring theme in modern history worldwide, including in East Asia and Japan.
This lecture will address this issue through the lens of Japanese history, exploring the complexities of freedom alongside oppression, accompanied by nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, the "emperor system," and various forms of social discrimination.