In this blog post, we will examine Montesquieu’s life, the legal principles outlined in ‘The Spirit of the Laws’, the separation of powers, and his thoughts on laws suited to each nation. Montesquieu (Charles de Secondat) was a French philosopher and one of the leading figures of the Enlightenment. He was born not into the “robed nobility”—those who held the position of...
Why did Montesquieu seek to discover human freedom in the relationship between law and society?
In this blog post, I will examine Montesquieu’s life, philosophical thought, unique concept of law, and his perspective on the relationship between human freedom and society through a reading of ‘The Spirit of the Laws’. Montesquieu: A Thinker with Diverse Interests Montesquieu was born on January 18, 1689, into a family of the “law nobility.” The law nobility was a class of...
Why does Molière use humor to explore human freedom and desire?
In this blog post, I’ve reflected on how Molière uses humor to explore human freedom, oppression, and inner desires, focusing on ‘The School for Wives’ and ‘The Miser’. I usually enjoy watching comedy shows on TV. When I think about why I’ve loved comedy from childhood to the present, the answer is surprisingly simple. It’s because it’s funny. It makes us laugh. I...
How does Mori Ogai’s “The Wild Geese” portray love, suffering, and human destiny?
In this blog post, I’ll reflect on human destiny, love, the meaning of suffering, and the life of the modern individual as revealed through reading Mori Ogai’s works, including “The Wild Geese.” Reflections on Mori Ōgai Mori Ōgai is revered, alongside Natsume Sōseki, as one of the two giants of modern Japanese literature, yet he has not been widely introduced in Korea. Unlike Sōseki, who...
What does “Letter from an Unknown Woman” have to say about love and freedom?
In this blog post, we’ll examine the ironic nature of human relationships—where one person’s absolute love is met with another’s indifference and oblivion—as well as the meaning of love and freedom within them, through Stefan Zweig’s “Letter from an Unknown Woman.” Stefan Zweig was born in 1881 in Vienna, the capital of Austria, into a Jewish family. Fascinated by the poetry of Baudelaire...
Why is Maxim Gorky’s ‘Mother’ regarded as a major turning point in Russian literature?
In this blog post, we will examine how Maxim Gorky’s ‘Mother’ portrays workers and revolutionaries, and how it depicts the transformation of an ordinary mother, Nilovna, into a champion of justice. The Literary-Historical Significance of ‘Mother’ Maxim Gorky’s ‘Mother’ is not only the pinnacle of Gorky’s artistic career and a turning point in his...
How did Maxim Gorky become a bridge between Russian literature and folk literature?
In this blog post, we will examine the significance of Maxim Gorky’s literary world by exploring his life, literature, historical context, and major works. A Writer Bridging Russian Literature and the 20th Century Maksim Gorky, the founder of Russian Socialist Realism, was born Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov. As the last writer of the 19th century and the first to usher in the 20th, Gorky...
What is Maxim Gorky saying about life and humanity in “The Coachman”?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the reflections on life, faith in humanity, and various questions about how one should live that are contained in Maxim Gorky’s “The Coachman.” What Is Life, and How Should We Live? Maxim Gorky rose to the ranks of the great writers without ever giving up his passion for life, despite difficult living conditions. Having lost his parents in childhood, he was...
How are Max Weber’s interpretive sociology and the basic concepts of sociology connected?
In this blog post, we will examine the background against which Max Weber’s “categories of the sociology of understanding” were established, and explore the significance of concepts such as “subjective meaning,” “understanding,” “ideal types,” “instrumental rationality,” “consistency rationality,” “Gesellschaft relations,” and “mutual understanding relations” within Weber’s sociology. What...
What did Max Weber discuss in “Politics as a Vocation” and “Science as a Vocation”?
In this blog post, we will examine the historical context of the time, Weber’s life and thought, and the outline and structure of the two lectures—“Politics as a Vocation” and “Science as a Vocation”—that he delivered to university students amid the chaos of Germany as a defeated nation during and immediately after World War I, in order to better understand them. Historical Context The era...