COML 6380

Grammatology of Nationality and Regime of Translation

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2015-2016.

An introduction to literary, theatrical and intellectual works on the Tokugawa period (1600-1868). The course will examine the grammatological transformation of Tokugawa literary and theatrical works in the 18th century, and the developments of critical thought in ethics and social philosophy. This year we will focus on the problems of enunciation and phonocentrism and read the philosophical and historical works of the twentieth century in order to understand the ways in which cultural activities and literature during the Tokugawa period are comprehended historically, in reference to language studies in Confucian scholarship and the National Studies (kokugaku). In conjunction with the course "Translation and Cultural Difference" in which general theoretical problems of translation are dealt with, "the Grammatology of Nationality and the Regime of Translation" is offered. In this course we will discuss the specific topics, such as ideograms, phonetic signs, performativity, and calligraphy, to the historical conditions of East Asia in reference to the texts of Confucian studies, translated texts of classics, new poetics, and theatrical scripts.

When Offered Fall.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: basic knowledge of either classical Japanese or classical Chinese.

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