Beginning: Why Modern Thought Now?

11 Why Study Modern Thought Now?
18 Introduction for Beginners
20 Poststructuralism and Postmodernism
23 Structuralism
25 Deconstruction of Binary Oppositions
28 The reality of life lies in the gray area.

Chapter 1 - Derrida: Deconstruction of Concepts

33 Derrida's unique style
37 Differences that break away from binary opposition
37 Modern thought is a philosophy of difference.
39 Paroles and Ecritures
40 Analysis of Binary Oppositions
44 The Importance of the Non-Essential
45 Is it close or far?
49 The Ethics of Deconstruction
52 Those who make foolish decisions are truly 'adults'.

Chapter 2 - Deleuze: Deconstruction of Being

57 Deleuze's Age
60 Differences precede identity
64 The tangled web of virtual relationships
66 All identity is temporary.
67 Process is always in progress
69 Not just a family story, but a variety of practices
72 Think twice
74 The necessity of 'not doing too much'
76 Nomad's Glass
79 Criticism of Management and Control Society
81 Balance between connection and disconnection

Chapter 3 - Foucault: Deconstruction of Society

85 Shaking the Binary Oppositional Schema of Power
90 Deconstruction of 'Normal' and 'Abnormal'
93 Three Faces of Power
94 Discipline Training: The Birth of a Mind That Practices Self-Monitoring
99 Biopolitics: Strengthening Material Management and Control
101 Letting Human Diversity Swim
103 Becoming a 'New Ancient'
107─Summary up to here

Chapter 4: The Origins of Modern Thought: Nietzsche, Freud, and Marx

113 Outside of order, as irrational
115 Nietzsche: The Matchmaking of Dionysus and Apollo
117 Towards the infrastructure
119 Freud: The Unconscious
122 The Practice and Function of Psychoanalysis
124 Unconsciousness and Chance
126 A rhythmic structure writhing under narrative meaning
128 Modern Finitude
134 Marx: Power and Economy
135 For everyone to regain their own power

Chapter 5: Psychoanalysis and Modern Thought: Lacan, Legendre

141 Psychoanalysis as a Presupposition of Modern Thought
142 Humans are animals of excess.
145 Instinct and Institution
148 Plasticity of desire
150 Lacan: Subjectification and Enjoyment
153 What is castration?
154 The Philosophy of Lack
155 The world of connected images and distinctions by language
159 Reality, the Unknowable "Real Exhaust"
161 Legendre: Dogmatic Anthropology
164 Finiteness by Ritual
166 Criticism of Negative Theology

Chapter 6: How to Create Modern Thought

173 To become a new modern thinker
175 Four Principles for Creating Modern Thought
177 Derrida: One-Ecriture
178 Deleuze: Difference in itself
179 Levinas: In a different way from what exists
183 Linking the Four Principles
184 Development into Post-Poststructuralism
185 Malabu: Plasticity of Form
187 Meiyasu: Absolute Reality and Its Changeability

Chapter 7 - Post-Poststructuralism

193 Modern Thought in the 21st Century
195 The emergence of speculative realism
196 Objectivity Outside of Meaning
198 Relativism of Reality Itself
200 The Thoroughness of Immanence: Harman, Laruelle
203 The Problem of Revenge and Modern Japanese Thought
206 New Finitude after Finitude
209 Wrestling with the Multiple Problem in a Finite Way
210 New Depths of Secularity

Appendix - Reading Modern Thought

217 All reading is incomplete
219 Four Points for Reading Modern Thought
219 Guess the structure of the original text as if it were English.
221 Don't be swayed by the rhetoric; extract only the necessary information.
222 Ignore proper nouns and fragments of knowledge
222 Be aware of the binary opposition of concepts
Case 1: “That’s cool.”
Case 2: Not delving into the rhetoric of "Gaptukti"
230 Case 3: Remove the decorations and leave only the frame.
233 Case 4: High degree of faultiness of the excuse
240 Conclusion: Order and Deviance
245 Translator's Note

Why should we study modern thought now?
In an age of flat debate, how to grasp reality with "high resolution"

“A direction that values ​​deviation, does not divide things into binary oppositions, and carries out finite actions one by one.
I think that acquiring modern thought is a step towards becoming a true 'adult'.
This would be equivalent to the task of re-understanding the world more precisely.”
― Atsushi Maejima (Editor-in-Chief of Bunshun Shinsho), in his review of the Grand Prize winner of the 'Shinsho Grand Prize 2023'

"Introduction to Modern Thought" begins by examining the "reasons" for studying modern thought, emphasizing that one can think about complex things without simplifying them.
Some might argue that "simplifying the complex is intelligence," but the author suggests the following values:
"There is a reality in the world that is destroyed by simplification, and we must respect that reality." Is it truly right to simplify ourselves, our lives, and society, eliminate noise, and pursue only the pure and the right? Modern thought provides tools to grasp the difficulties of reality, which defy order, with a "higher resolution" than before, and this discussion moves toward the ethical aspect of preserving the "diversity of life."
The idea of ​​creating order is necessary in its own right.
However, thoughts that deviate from the order are also essential. Within the balance of this dual system, the author proposes that we learn to think in a way that "deconstructs" binary oppositions.
Deconstructing binary oppositions is not about "allowing any claim to be OK." Rather, it involves an ethics that confronts others and respects their "otherness," and an ethics that thoroughly questions the established order and fundamentally considers the possibility of "togetherness."
Masaya Chiba emphasizes that learning this modern ideology is the way to live a vibrant and artistic life.


A groundbreaking 'research book' that sheds new light on order and deviation.
A popular book that presents the practicality of modern thought.

Through this book, the author does not simply explain an 'introduction' to modern thought.
Starting with the question, “Why should we study modern thought?”, it discusses the “usefulness” of modern thought as a tool for capturing high-resolution, realistic perspectives on social issues, including life’s concerns.
It suggests that facing the reality of life in the "gray zone" where the activity (subjective life) and passivity (the initiative of others) push and entangle with each other is the way to confront the essence of the problem.
It also talks about the deconstruction of binary oppositions and the attitude of fluidly changing one's views through the paradox of 'deviation' (the rhythmic movement between fixed identity and difference).


In this respect, this book is a groundbreaking "research" that sheds new light on modern thought through the two-part drama of "order and deviance," a theme that Masaya Chiba has long struggled with, and a "popular practical book" that suggests ways to broaden the framework of the way of thinking that limits oneself.
Here, the author specifically encourages those who inevitably feel lonely in a world where life and society are ordered (simplified, purified), to feel the energy of breaking free from the mold and express it artistically.
In other words, a ‘deviation’ occurs from the ‘stubborn law’, and the author divides the discussion on “how to defend this deviation” into three axes: Derrida, Deleuze, and Foucault.


Modern thought is the 'philosophy of difference'
Guided by Derrida, Deleuze, and Foucault
Deconstruction of concepts, existence, and society

“If you hold this book in one hand and read Derrida and Deleuze, the content is surprisingly easy to understand.”
― Saori Fukuoka (Junkudo Bookstore/Tatsukawa Takashimaya), in her review of the 2023 New Book Award winners

Modern thought regards order as something temporarily fixed (this term is a concept of Masaya Chiba captured in Derrida's worldview) and examines a state in which various elements coexist while constantly undergoing deviations.
This relationship between 'order and deviation' provides the author with the idea of ​​deconstruction, breaking free from the framework of "it must be done this way," and thus develops into the question of "what does it mean to live artistically?"
This book mentions Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, and Michel Foucault as representatives who clearly demonstrated the 'philosophy of difference' in French modern thought, and discusses the three axes of 'deconstruction' centered on these three people.
Derrida, with his 'deconstruction of concepts', Deleuze with his 'deconstruction of being', and Foucault with his 'deconstruction of society', discuss the direction of modern thought that emphasizes difference and values ​​'deviation' and 'change' in the binary opposition between identity and difference that has long been discussed in the history of philosophy.
Furthermore, by further thoroughgoing modern ideological thinking, it 'deconstructs the binary opposition between identity and difference' and emphasizes that the rhythmic movement between static identity and difference is the true charm of modern thought.
That is, the ethics of respecting otherness and the true art of living lie in the ambiguity of allowing one's various ways of life to 'swim' without being divided into either side of a binary opposition.


“First, let’s get familiar with Derrida’s argument called the deconstruction of binary oppositions.
By extending it to all beings, we move beyond the distinctions of “a cup is a cup, a cat is a cat, that person is that person, I am I,” and move toward a Deleuzian vision in which things unfold dynamically and transversally.
But at the same time, there is also unrelatedness everywhere, and not everything is connected and confusing, making it a 'mess'.
The image of a world with bubbles like soda.
This is the deconstruction of existence.
From here, the discussion moves to the specifics of social problems.
First, we recognize the power relations that exclude us by saying, “That is not a proper way to live, it is a deviation.”
And we recognize that it is not simply a system that is being imposed, but a system that people have unconsciously created out of their own anxieties.
“The critique of the management and control society that seeks to escape from it is the deconstruction of society.” - From the text (page 110)

A perspective that examines the core of modern thought
From the 'origins' of modern thought to 'speculative realism'

“It strips away the armor that modern thought has been wearing and conveys only the core [essence] that remains.
“Writing something like this requires considerable determination and skill.”
― Masatoshi Tanaka (Editor-in-Chief of Juko Shinsho), in his review of the 2023 Shinsho Grand Prize winners

This book presents a perspective that looks into the core of modern thought.
It introduces the 'origins' of modern thought (Nietzsche, Freud, Marx), the relationship between modern thought and 'psychoanalysis' (Lacan, Legendre), and post-poststructuralism (21st century modern thought trends, speculative realism), and discusses various ideas that can help us understand modern thought in a comprehensive or in-depth manner, rather than superficially.


· Origins of modern thought: Nietzsche, Freud, Marx
How to see things beyond binary oppositions

Masaya Chiba explains the origins of modern thought by arguing that “human thought has always embraced darkness.”
It is a novel point of view that avoiding accidents in thinking, that is, deconstructing things by breaking away from binary oppositions, is the discovery of 'infrastructure' in a broad sense.
The author introduces Nietzsche and Freud, who discussed the 'infrastructure (repressed unconscious)' in a broad sense, and Marx, who discussed the 'infrastructure (original term)' referring to the economic formation of society, and states that they are the 'origins' of modern thought.


Nietzsche, who was the first in the history of philosophy to clearly present a gesture that celebrates irrationality; Freud's concept of the unconscious, that the chain of unconscious words and images within me is the other (other) within me; and Marx, who discussed how to recover one's original power (anarchic and Dionysian power) that remained at the level of the unconscious and how to impose an independent order different from the exploitative structure. These three people pursued the following.
“Rather than aiming for a flat, average society, let’s aim for a society that somehow gets around, even if it’s bumpy.”
In other words, to shake off the obsession with competing with everyone on the same standards and achieving success, we must go back further in our own formation, open up the possibility of 'chance', and undertake the practical task of regaining our own power.
The author argues that this is the way to “raise consciousness,” that is, the disorganized direction of modern thought.


Psychoanalysis and Modern Thought: Lacan, Legendre
Will you live an infinite tragedy or a finite comedy?

The author points out that although modern thought criticizes psychoanalysis, it was originally inspired by psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis defines human beings in a nutshell as follows:
“Humans are animals of excess.” The author explains that humans of excess (who deviate from order) do not live according to instinct, but rather always possess the “plasticity of desire,” which means that everything they do is “perverse.”
This is precisely what deconstructs the binary opposition between normal and abnormal, order and deviation, and emphasizes that what we think of as 'normal' is also 'a deviation from normality' and 'an arrival at normality.'


Lacan, through the concept of 'object a', shows how limited and finite (subjectified) humans are, and Legendre, through 'dogmatic anthropology', sets up a situation in which order is assembled through castration.
This is interpreted by the author as follows:
The argument is that humans are beings of excess and have an impulse toward deviance through “ordering through routines,” but there is also a duality in that they find comfort and ‘pleasure’ by ritualistically limiting themselves.
That dilemma is the very 'human drama', and rather than living a 'singular' tragic life of repeatedly seeking the apparent object a, achieving it, and then being disillusioned, we conclude that we should make life more 'plural' and acknowledge each person's autonomous joy.


· How to 'read' modern thought, how to 'make' modern thought
In the philosophy of the other (Levinas)
Post-poststructuralism (Malabou, Meillassoux, Harman, Laruelle)

"In addition to sketching a rough outline of modern thought, it also reveals techniques for reading it, giving readers the courage to move on to the next step without stopping."
― Takujitsu Yoneoka [Nippan (Japan's largest publishing wholesaler)], in his review of the 'New Book Award 2023' grand prize winner

The translator of this book, Kim Sang-woon (a researcher of modern political philosophy), praised the book, saying, “Derrida’s arguments, which are notoriously difficult, are presented in a very easy and concise manner, but rather than remaining at a rudimentary level, he shows the rather difficult arguments in an easy-to-understand way.”
The strength of this book lies in its ability to connect rather complex discussions to real-life contexts, a point at the heart of which are the appendix's "Reading Modern Thought" and Chapter 6, "How to Create Modern Thought."
The author mentions that the detailed rhetoric of 'modern thought texts' is a barrier to entry, and proposes a methodology that thoroughly lowers this obstacle.
“① Be aware of the binary opposition of concepts.
② Read while ignoring proper nouns and fragments of knowledge, and look them up later if necessary.
③ Do not be swayed by ‘high-class’ rhetoric.
④ Since the original is in French, it is similar to English in that it is a Western language, but it is somewhat conscious of the grammatical structure.” Based on these four concepts, the method of ‘reading multiple times as if applying thin layers’ is explained in detail.
The most helpful part is the part where he takes difficult sentences from Derrida, Deleuze, etc. and explains them in case studies on how to read them.


Masaya Chiba goes beyond 'how to read' modern thought and also teaches us 'how to create' new modern thought.
By analyzing the method of differentiating existing ideas from new ideas (differentiation), we diagram the ‘method of creating modern French ideas.’
These are “① the principle of otherness, ② the principle of transcendence, ③ the principle of extremism, and ④ the principle of anti-common sense.”
The author mentions Levinas's 'philosophy of the other' as a representative example.
Levinas criticizes the dangers inherent in Heidegger's existing 'ontology' and analyzes that he developed his thoughts with the bold keyword of 'in a way different from what exists', taking the position that "the history of philosophy has excluded the problem of the other, so we must think of a philosophy that turns toward the other."


Describing recent philosophical developments in the 21st century, called 'post-poststructuralism', he mentions Catherine Malabou, Quentin Meillassoux, Graham Harman, and François Laruelle.
This paper explains how the philosophies presented by these four people fit into the diagram analyzed by Masaya Chiba.
Through the author's detailed explanations, readers can learn the 'principles for asking questions from a modern ideological perspective' and, more boldly, approach the 'principles for becoming a new modern thinker.'
As Masaya Chiba boasted, “there is no other introductory book that explains modern thought in this way.”


Easy to understand, applicable to life,
Above all, 『Introduction to Modern Thought』 is comforting and encouraging.

“I am pleased that you have commented that I explain modern thought not through superficial knowledge but through a physical and concrete way of chewing and connecting it to society.
“I refrain from formalistic explanations as much as possible, and write about what I have personally learned over the past 25 years of studying modern thought.”
― Masaya Chiba, from his acceptance speech at the 2023 New Book Awards

What the author ultimately shows the reader through modern thought is that the world is “not a mass of puzzles.”
The world is a “field of scattered problems” formed by the unconscious and chance, and there is a “different depth” other than the bottomless “swamp-like depth,” which is “a new depth of secularity.”
It is the depth of what is inherent here and now.
He emphasizes that by understanding modern thought and looking at the world, we can “acquire a different kind of mystery than when viewed from the perspective of modern finiteness,” and that it will guide us to a world that is “not a mystery that continues to drag us into darkness, but a mystery of a bright and clear sky, a mystery because it is clear.”
This book has the advantage of being written in easy-to-understand sentences, allowing one to quickly grasp the overall philosophy underlying modern thought, starting with an overview of modern thought.
Of course, it is up to the reader to reach the depths of modern thought, apply them to real life, and discover the “mystery of the clear and bright sky.”