H 381 Turn Against the Modern Chs 6-8

Ch. 6 “Seeking Rebellion”

1. Ishikawa Takuboku (1885-1912) was 15 years Reiun’s junior; what were his concerns or issues?

2. What does Reiun set forth in his essay “At Nagatamura” (170ff)? What is interesting here?

3. 176-187 what does Reiun want to get at by publishing his book Meiji Hanshinden?

4. How does the "Popular Rights Movement" figure in his narrative?

5. 178-180: Taika Reforms v the Meiji Restoration. How do these two historical events compare?

6. 180-182 what is an ikioi and how does it interact with "world trends" (sekai no taisei)?

7. 184: See the quote from "At Nagatamura": How did Reiun perceive what happened after the Restoration and what was Itô's role? What do you

think?

8. 193-94: Let's consider the two final paragraphs of Ch. 6 from "Reiun's choice to publish..." What is being said here?

 

Ch. 7 “The Final Years”

1. Back at the end of Ch. 4, there was a quote from Reiun biographer Takahashi Tadashi to the effect that his Seinenbun essays showed that he was fully prepared to critique capitalist society but later “he would find his way into the territory of social and political revolution where he would formulate a penetrating and thoroughgoing critique of capitalism and a society in which the all-encompassing power of money is pervasive.  But the road ahead for him would be steep and a difficult fate would await him.” (122) On p. 197, there is some reflection on what this "steep road" and "difficult fate" might be about.  What do you think?

2. On p. 198 there is a quote about being enslaved; what does Reiun think that the antidote enslavement might be?

3. What were the Four Projects Reiun would have liked to undertake at the end of his life?

4. How did Carpenter, Morgan, Engels and August Bebel all converge in his work?

 

Ch. 8 “Last Thoughts”

1. How do you think that Reiun may anticipate Maruyama Masao’s work?

2. How was his “movement of thought” a factor in Reiun’s discourse?

3. How did Reiun want to find meaning in engagement?

4. Consider the Berman quote as the epigraph to this chapter and then note how Berman’s ideas figure in the section on “becoming a subject of modernity” and not only its object. (see p. 11)

5. On p. 221 we return to a quote from Charles Altieri that originally appeared in the Preface (xiv).  What insights do you think Altieri’s observation provides for a better understanding of Reiun?