In this blog post, we will examine Max Weber’s thoughts on the meaning of scholarship, the attitude scholars should adopt, and political responsibility, focusing on his seminal lectures “Science as a Vocation” and “The Nation-State and Economic Policy.” What Does Scholarship Mean? This book contains the German sociologist Max Weber’s (1864–1920) seminal lectures, “Scholarship as a Vocation...
How can one stake one’s soul on a challenge in a place where one’s heart leads?
In this blog post, I’ll reflect on the meaning of choosing one’s path in life by following one’s interests and passions—and committing oneself fully to that path—through the book ‘CEO Ahn Cheol-soo: A Challenge with Soul’. This book was published about 10 years ago, and I came across it two years after that. During my military service, I picked up a book with a thin layer of...
How does Mao Dun’s “Food Trilogy” depict the revolution and the disillusionment, wavering, and quests of intellectual youth?
In this blog post, we will examine Mao Dun’s life and literary background, and explore the significance of the revolution and the disillusionment, wavering, and quests of intellectual youth as portrayed in each work of the “Food Trilogy.” In what environment did Mao Dun develop as a writer Mao Dun was born on July 4, 1896—the 22nd year of the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty—in Wuzhen...
Why is Marx’s ‘Wage Labor and Capital’ considered the starting point for understanding the capitalist economy?
In this blog post, we will examine why Marx’s ‘Wage Labor and Capital’ is important for understanding Marxist economics and the structure of capitalist society, covering everything from the historical background of its writing and revisions to its core economic content. An Introductory Text for Understanding the Capitalist Economy When studying Marxist economics, it is almost...
How did Marcel Proust create a literature of memory and time through ‘In Search of Lost Time’?
In this blog post, we will explore Marcel Proust’s life and literary world, and summarize the overall narrative arc of ‘In Search of Lost Time’ as well as the significance of time and memory in ‘Swann’s Way’. What kind of life did Marcel Proust lead? Marcel Proust was born in 1871 in La Fontaine, a suburb of Paris. As a child, Marcel often went for walks with his...
How did Manuel Puig portray female desire and dystopia in ‘The Angel’s Vagina’?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the literary world of Manuel Puig—who blurred the boundaries between popular and high culture—as well as the themes of female desire, sexuality, politics, the unconscious, and a dystopian future as depicted in ‘The Angel’s Vagina’. Why Discuss Manuel Puig? When Susan Sontag visited Mexico in 1998, reporters recalled a passage from ‘Against...
Why Did Richard Bach Write About Freedom and the Soaring of the Soul?
In this blog post, we’ll explore Richard Bach’s life, his passion for flying, and his thoughts on freedom and the soul as expressed in ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’ and ‘No Place Is Far Away’. The Life of Richard Bach: A Pursuit of Love and Personal Freedom Author Richard Bach was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1936. In 1941, he moved with his family north of...
How Did Linus Torvalds and Steve Jobs View Open Source Differently?
In this blog post, after reading ‘Linux Just for Fun’ and ‘iCon’, I’ll examine how Linus Torvalds and Steve Jobs understood and utilized open source and disclosure strategies. Tovalz and Jobs: Different Perspectives on Open Source The anecdote that Steve Jobs, making his spectacular return as Apple’s CEO in 1997, offered Linus Tovalz a position at Apple is a...
Why did Rousseau seek to find his true self in nature and solitude?
In this blog post, I will examine Rousseau’s literature and philosophy, his attitude toward nature, and his life and literary work—particularly his quest to discover his true self in solitude during his later years—with a focus on ‘The Dream of the Solitary Walker’. 18th-Century French Literature and the Emergence of Rousseau While reading ‘The Dream of the Solitary...
Why Is Rudolf von Jhering’s ‘The Struggle for Law’ Still Read Today?
In this blog post, I will introduce Rudolf von Jhering’s ‘The Struggle for Law (Der Kampf um das Recht)’ and examine its core ideas. The book I reviewed this time is ‘Der Kampf um das Recht’ by Rudolf von Jhering, widely regarded as one of the greatest classics in the history of legal thought. Although many outstanding legal texts have been published to this day...