[KS] Tikhonov - new book in English
Vladimir Tikhonov
vladimir.tikhonov at ikos.uio.no
Mon Aug 9 14:01:07 EDT 2010
Dear colleagues,
sorry for an improper attempt at self-promotion, but since nobody else
is likely to do this, I would like to announce the publication of my
English monograph on Korean Social Darwinism, entitled "Social Darwinism
and Nationalism in Korea: the Beginnings (1880s-1910s). 'Survival' as an
Ideology of Korean Modernity". It was printed by Brill - really kind of
them, given the enormous difficulties any perspective author with such
an obscure and commercially unpromising topic would encounter in
negotiating with publishers in our harsh times - and I will allow myself
to quote their presentation of the book's content:
"The book deals with the influences Social Darwinism exerted upon
Korea’s modern ideologies in their formative period - especially
nationalism – after its introduction to Korea in 1883 and before Korea’s
annexation by Japan in 1910. It shows that the belief in the “survival
of the fittest” as the overarching cosmic and social principle
constituted the main underpinning for the modernity discourses in Korea
in the 1890s-1900s. Unlike the dominant ideology of traditional Korea,
Neo-Confucianism, which was largely promoted by the scholar-official
elite, Social Darwinism appealed to the modern intellectuals, but also
to the entrepreneurs, providing the justification for their
profit-seeking activities as part of the “national survival” project. As
an ideology of Korea’s nascent capitalism, Social Darwinism in Korea
could, however, hardly be called a liberal creed: it clearly prioritized
“national survival” over individual rights and interests."
(http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=210&pid=41692).
While there is already some work done on this topic in South Korean
scholarship - monographs by ChOn PokhUi (1996) and my good colleague Pak
SOngjin (2003), as well as my own monograph in Korean (2005) - this new
book is the first ever take on the subject in English. I feel really
sorry for the price (€ 97.00), but that is something we authors have
little influence upon.
Best greetings,
Vladimir (Pak Noja)
--
Vladimir Tikhonov,
Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages,
Faculty of Humanities,
University of Oslo,
P.b. 1010, Blindern, 0315, Oslo, Norway.
Fax: 47-22854828; Tel: 47-22857118
Personal web page: http://folk.uio.no/vladimit/
http://www.geocities.com/volodyatikhonov/volodyatikhonov.html
Electronic classrooms: East Asian/Korean Society and Politics:
http://folk.uio.no/vladimit/eastasianstudies.htm
http://www.geocities.com/uioeastasia2002/main.html
East Asian/Korean Religion and Philosophy:
http://www.geocities.com/uioeastasia2003/classroom.html
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