The Japan Lectures: A Transnational Critical Encounter

This book presents Foucault's forgotten lectures in Japan in 1978, exploring his questions about Revolution and Enlightenment in the context of Asian traditions. It seeks to create a new transnational collaboration and reexamine the history of European colonialism. The lectures contribute to the scholarship in Asian and translation studies and offer insights into Foucault's work for philosophy in the 21st century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This remarkable book presents, for the first time in English, a collection of lectures and interviews given by Foucault in Japan in 1978. Through meticulous reconstruction of their historical context and thoughtful isolation of their enduring relevance, Foucault delves into a series of thought-provoking discussions with his Japanese interlocutors. These forgotten lectures, delivered in a free and often informal style, offer a unique perspective as Foucault explores, alongside his Japanese counterparts, the implications of his inquiries into Revolution and Enlightenment within the traditions of European critical thought.

In a series of wide-ranging conversations, Foucault examines these questions in the context of Asia, engaging in a profound exploration of sexuality, non-Christian forms of spirituality, new political movements, and the interplay of knowledge, power, and truth. He hoped that these topics, which were highly debated in postwar Japan, would serve as the catalyst for new forms of translation, publication, and exchange. At the core of these lectures lies a quest for the establishment of a novel transnational collaboration, rewriting the history of European colonialism and embracing a philosophy that transcends Western boundaries.

The Japan Lectures thus make a significant contribution to the emerging field of Asian studies and translation studies, which have evolved beyond the confines of earlier Area Studies. They also align with the growing scholarship on Foucault's own work and itinerary, following the publication of a vast array of materials left unfinished or unpublished by his untimely death. In these ways, The Japan Lectures help us to gain a deeper understanding of the profound implications of Foucault's work for philosophy in the twenty-first century.

Weight: 526g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032286051