From A Man to What Is a Person?
Japanese writer Keiichiro Hirano has recently released the Chinese version of his novel What Is a Person? He visited Taiwan to participate in the 2023 Taipei International Book Exhibition, where he engaged in a dialogue with writer Sabrina Huang titled A Novelist's Perspective on Human Nature: From A Man to What Is a Person? The discussion was interpreted by experienced translator Tsan Mu-ju, and this article provides a highlight report of the event.
The theory of 'What Is a Person?' stemming from the social issue of high suicide rates among young people in Japan
Do you believe that there is a true self within you? Or do you think that there is no "true self" or "core self" present? After the event started, Sabrina Huang posed these questions to the audience and invited them to vote by raising their hands, revealing a significant difference in opinions.
The categorization of the book What Is a Person? is also worth discussing. As a non-fiction work by a novelist, Keiichiro Hirano's What Is a Person?is classified in bookstores under the genre of psychology and self-help, which Sabrina Huang finds somewhat intriguing. She proposed her own interpretation of What Is a Person?: it can be seen as a guidebook to unravel Hirano's fictional world. To help the audience quickly grasp the concept of What Is a Person?Sabrina Huang asked Hirano to explain what the "true self" is.
Hirano began by discussing the concept of the "individual." Originally, the concept of the "individual" did not exist in East Asia and was imported from the West. European Christians, who believed in an indivisible individual and a unique God, saw them as corresponding to each other on a one-to-one basis.However, in reality, people are not that simple. In fact, we exhibit different selves when facing different objects. Those who believe in a singular self may experience contradictions and confusion: "Isn't there only one true self?" Despite having different selves in everyday life, they struggle to find the "true self" and experience suffering as a result.
When the accumulated suffering reaches its limit, it can lead individuals to engage in extreme behaviors. Ten years ago, when Hirano conceived the concept of What Is a Person? Japan was grappling with the social issue of high suicide rates among young people. This societal phenomenon prompted Hirano to contemplate the theory of What Is a Person? He believes that if we can transcend the concept of the "individual" and instead adopt the perspective of What Is a Person?, acknowledging the multiplicity of human beings in different relationships, we won't negate our entire selves based on dissatisfaction in school or the workplace, thereby attaining freedom.
The self portrayed in What Is a Person? bears resemblance to the Buddhist concept of "impermanence" or "anicca"
Sabrina Huang expressed that after reading What Is a Person?, one can understand the central issue that Keiichiro Hirano has been exploring through his works: "How to define what 'a person' is."
In Hirano's novel, A Man, is the culmination of his exploration of the theory of What Is a Person? In the novel, he attempts to address an unsolvable question: "What is the self?" This left Sabrina Huang with a sense of panic after reading it, realizing that names, backgrounds, and memories cannot define a person.
Sabrina Huang also suggested that the philosophical path of ontology could serve as an approach to understanding A Man and help identify the focal points of the novel. It may be necessary to break down the binary nature of humans:
"We are accustomed to perceiving people in terms of appearance and essence, closeness and distance, easily understanding others in binary terms. However, the self shaped by the theory of 'What Is a Person?' is a constantly flowing and integrating chemical entity, continuously adapting to new experiences and reactions. The self is highly fluid and ambiguous, not something fixed. In Buddhist terms, it is 'impermanent'."
As a novelist who resists labeling and binary divisions, Keiichiro Hirano using literary creation to present the complex aspects of human nature
The discussion took a turn from philosophy to the realm of law. What Is a Person?reminded Sabrina Huang of the legal concept of a power subject and the individual as the smallest unit of natural law responsibilities. She was curious as to why Keiichiro Hirano transitioned from a legal background to the field of literature. Was the theory of What Is a Person? related to his legal background?
Hirano, hailing from Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, revealed that he had dreamed of becoming a novelist during his youth but did not dare to entertain such aspirations. During his academic pursuits, he heeded the advice of his teachers and chose to study law based on practical considerations. However, while attending law school, he realized that law did not align with his personal interests. Nevertheless, the exposure to European philosophy during his law school studies greatly influenced his literary endeavors.
Hirano appreciated Sabrina Huang's observation. Indeed, the smallest unit in law is the individual, and various rights are conceived in relation to individuals. However, in daily life, the interactions between people are not always clearly defined as one individual to another. Hirano has always been resistant to simplistic binary divisions and believes that literature can effectively explore the multifaceted aspects of the "self":
"I believe that literature attempts to describe complex phenomena and gradually uncover the essence of things. Through stories, we can slowly unravel the true nature of 'people' by peeling back layers.
Reducing the prevalence of divisive categorizations could indeed promote mental well-being
Sabrina Huang responded to Keiichiro Hirano's resistance against labeling and binary divisions by emphasizing that as novelists, they both recognize that works of fiction reject categorization and definitive judgments. Compelling novels often feature characters with complex personalities, just as different aspects of a person can contradict each other.
"This also explains why some people may be inconsistent or indecisive, because that's what humans are," Sabrina Huang summarized. She humorously offered an inspiring explanation: everyone is a manager of their own divisions, striving to increase the proportions of the aspects they like and minimizing the portions they dislike. By doing so, it can promote mental well-being.
Keiichiro Hirano stated that in his novel At the End of the Matinee, he attempted to convey the message that "people can change the past; or perhaps, the past is meant to change." While it may sound profound, it is true that people's thoughts and perspectives can evolve over time.
However, one thing that remains unchangeable is a person's background and origins, which can significantly impact their lives. This led Hirano to contemplate whether a child should bear the burden of being labeled if their parents were criminals. Such reflections subsequently evolved into the theme explored in A Man.
Panelists
Keiichiro Hirano
Keiichiro Hirano is an award-winning and bestselling novelist whose debut novel, The Eclipse, won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 1998, when he was a twenty-three-year-old university student. A cultural envoy to Paris appointed by Japan's Ministry of Cultural Affairs, he has given lectures throughout Europe. Widely read in France, China, Korea, Taiwan, Italy, and Egypt, Hirano is also the author of At the End of the Matinee, a runaway bestseller in Japan, among many other books. His short fiction has appeared in The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature. A Man, winner of Japan's Yomiuri Prize for Literature, is the first of Hirano's novels to be translated into English. For more information, visit en.k-hirano.com and follow Hirano on Twitter at @hiranok_en.
Sabrina Huang
Born in 1979 in Taipei, Sabrina Huang(黃麗群) graduated from National Chengchi University's Department of Philosophy and went on to work in the media.
Her published works include the story collections Welcome to the Dollhouse (Unitas Publishing, 2012), and two essay collections Songs Left Behind, A Touch of Luxury. She has won virtually every major short story prize in Taiwan, including the China Times Literary Award and the United Daily Literary Award.
Full Article in Traditional Chinese
2023台北國際書展》平野啓一郎、黃麗群對談：從《那個男人》到《分人》 | Openbook閱讀誌
