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The Relevance of Modernity to Contemporary East Asia: An Outline.
- Source :
- International Journal of Japanese Sociology; Mar2018, Vol. 27 Issue 1, p41-54, 14p
- Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- This article offers a framework for exploring the relevance of modernity to contemporary East Asia. I first examine different conceptualizations of modernity, paying special attention to Eisenstadt's influential concept of multiple modernities. Second, I point out the limitations and flaws of Eisenstadt's theory by drawing on nationalist politics in East Asia as an illustrative case. In particular, I examine the so‐called “history perception problem,” which has been created by war and shaped by the legacies of war, to demonstrate the peculiar features of modernity in East Asia. Third, I use the works by three scholars as examples to show how intellectuals in China, South Korea, and Taiwan respond to the tensions between universalism and particularism, which, as a whole, reflect what can be called “East Asian modernity.” And finally, I try to respond to the controversial but fashionable question that is peculiar to East Asia: can modernity be overcome? It is argued that East Asia can be understood through the lens of modernity, and vice versa. Nowadays, modernity has become a global condition in both geographical and topological senses. It is not something to be overcome, but a condition that we all live in and should learn to live with, here and now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 09187545
- Volume :
- 27
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- International Journal of Japanese Sociology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 128709373
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/ijjs.12079