In this blog post, we will carefully examine how Osamu Dazai’s repeated suicide attempts and Christian influences are reflected in his works, particularly ‘No Longer Human’ and ‘The Sound of the Wind’. Introduction Osamu Dazai (born Shuji Tsushima, 1909–1948) attempted suicide five times during his short life of 39 years and ultimately took his own life on his fifth...
Why Is Osamu Dazai’s ‘No Longer Human’ Still Read Today?
In this blog post, we will examine the reasons why Osamu Dazai’s posthumous work ‘No Longer Human’ has captivated readers for so many years, as well as the structure of the novel. Regarded as one of the two great novels of modern Japanese literature alongside Natsume Sōseki’s ‘Heart’, Dazai Osamu’s posthumous work ‘No Longer Human’, with its gloomy...
Why Was Osamu Dazai Compelled to Write ‘No Longer Human’?
In this blog post, we explore how Osamu Dazai’s sense of deprivation, frustration, addiction, and suicide attempts influenced his literary world—particularly the creation of ‘No Longer Human’. The Life of Osamu Dazai Osamu Dazai (太宰治) was born on June 19, 1909, in Kanagi Village, Kitatsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture, in northern Honshu, Japan, as the tenth of eleven children...
The Timeless Relevance of Osamu Dazai’s Literature: Why Does ‘No Longer Human’ Still Resonate Today?
In this blog post, we will explore the linguistic charm of Osamu Dazai, his attitude toward “weak human beings,” and the reasons why his works continue to resonate with younger generations across generations, examining his works, life, and reception. The Timeless Relevance of Osamu Dazai’s Literature Osamu Dazai’s prose, which shines with the language of life he internalized to the point...
The Meaning of Hope and Dreams as Seen in Kang Jun-man’s ‘Even in the Quagmire, the Stars Shine’
In this blog post, I will reflect on life, dreams, and hope, focusing on the aphorisms found in Kang Jun-man’s *Even in the Quagmire, the Stars Shine*. Reflections on Life and Aphorisms We live a single life, experiencing joy, sorrow, love, and grief, and ultimately return to a handful of dust. Even if we ask ourselves whether we are spending each day meaningfully until the day we die...
Reading Kang Jun-man’s ‘Ask Your Soul’: A Guide to Happiness in 50 Life Aphorisms
In this blog post, I will briefly introduce Kang Jun-man’s ‘Ask Your Soul (Aphorisms for Happiness)’ and summarize my main impressions and the book’s key features. Writing Style and Structure While Kang Jun-man’s past writings were combative and direct, perhaps due to the weight of time, this book adopts a much softer tone—even using honorifics—that evokes a sense of the...
Kang Jun-man’s *A Dragon Must Not Rise from a Muddy Stream*: The Truth About the Republic of Power Abuse
In this blog post, we will examine the core arguments of Kang Jun-man’s *A Dragon Must Not Rise from a Muddy Stream (The Secret of the Republic of Power Abuse)* and explore the issue of power abuse in Korean society. Book Overview and Key Arguments Kang Jun-man, *A Dragon Must Not Rise from a Muddy Stream (The Secret of the Republic of Power Abuse)*. The author is a prolific writer...
How far can evolutionary psychology explain human behavior?
This blog post examines how much evolutionary psychology can explain human behavior, critically exploring the tension between innate and environmental factors. Through this, it considers both the explanatory limitations and potential of evolutionary psychology. Recently in Korea, social controversy has arisen over claims that high school textbooks should delete or reduce content related to...
Could rape be an adaptive behavior in human evolution?
This blog post explores whether rape could be an adaptive behavior for survival and reproduction during human evolution, from scientific and evolutionary psychological perspectives. To answer any question, one must first understand it clearly. “Is rape adaptive?” is no exception. While we need not debate what rape is, we must first clearly define what an adaptation is to answer this...
Can plants, microbes, and inanimate objects be treated with respect?
This blog post draws on Yuval Harari’s Homo Deus to discuss the subjective needs of plants, microbes, and inanimate objects and whether they deserve respect. In Homo Deus, author Yuval Harari takes a critical view of animal husbandry, arguing that it is an act of providing animals with what they need to survive and reproduce, while failing to fulfill their subjective needs. He argues...