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Title "The Human Condition and Repressive Regimes: A Reading of the Existentialist Values in the Selected Works of Kafka, Kobayashi and Gomikawa"

Author(s) Sara Bano

Abstract This study seeks to draw comparisons and simultaneously abridge the philosophical gap between the existentialist theories of Hannah Arendt and the Kyoto School, considerably those of Nishida Kitaro and Keiji Nishitani. Franz Kafka’s short story “The Penal Colony” is interpreted along with the first volume of Junpei Gomikawa and Masaki Kobayashi’s film, The Human Condition under the theorization of Hannah Arendt and the Kyoto School to address the existential problem of the human condition shaped by oppressive regimes. A mixed methodology of Qualitative Content Analysis and hermeneutics has been deployed for interpreting the selected works. The discussion and the analysis highlight the common understanding of how oppressive regimes normalize violent and abnormal acts, which is explained under concepts such as the Banality of Evil, the theory of political action, the logic of absolute nothingness, and the rise of fascism around the period of World War Two. The Hermeneutic Content Analysis revealed two different approaches to the problem of existentialism (the human condition) put forth by Hannah Arendt and the Kyoto School. While Arendt’s lens recognizes life’s inherent absurdity, the latter uses spiritual ideals such as those of Zen Buddhism to ascribe a meaning beyond nihilism, advocating for individual action deprived of ‘ego’, ‘self’, and ‘being’. This approach emphasizes mindfulness and the interconnectedness of all things, encouraging a compassionate and selfless way of living. By transcending personal desires and attachments, individuals can find a deeper sense of purpose and harmony within the universe, aligning their actions with a greater spiritual truth.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2024-08-21

Subject Literature

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