Saito Junichi

斎藤 純一

English

Saito, Junichi

斎藤, 純一

KANAGAWA University Repository

GeorgeSteiner'sEITataandT.S.Eliot'sNotesJunichiSaitoAboutthreedecadeshavepassedsinceGeorgeSteinerpublishedInBluebeard'sCastle.Inthiswork,SteinerdrewattentiontothebarbarismwhichhaslongindwelttheheartofEuropeancultureunderthenameofhigh humanideals.1citingT.S.Eliot,sNotesTowardstheDefl･nitionofCulture,hepointedoutthatEliotdidnotseriouslyconsiderthehardshipsoftheoppressedwhenhediscussedculture.SteinerreiteratedseveraltimesthatEliot･sNotesisnotanattractivebook,2becauseEliotdoesnotstandforthepositionoftheweak(ortheminorities).Steiner'sliteraryachievementsasamanoflettershavebeenout-standingtheselastseveraldecades.ButmanyreaderswouldliketoknowwhetherSteiner'sviewsofwesternculturehavechangedornotduringthistime.IthasgeneralybeensaidthathischildhoodexperienceinEuropehassometimescastapessimisticshadowonhiscriticalworks.OnemightpredictthattherewouldbesomechangeinhisthoughtsonthemeanlngOfwesternculturenowthatheisreachingtheageofseventy.ItwouldbeinterestingtoaskifSteiner'scriticismoftheinsanityindwelingtheheartofEuropeanculturehasbecomeevenmoreharshthanbefore.SteinerpublishedErylaiain1997,andinithereconsidersthesignifi-canceofEuropeancultureinthelightofhislifeexperience;inparticular,131hediscussesthetraumaoftheHolocaust,thathaslongweigheduponhismind.Heargues:...theShoah,theHolocaustisunique;whetherornotitdefinesasingular-ityinthehistoryofmankind.Perhapsitdoes.Perhapsthereisnootherinstance,preciselyanalogousofontologlCalmassacre-thisistosay,ofthedeliberatemurderofhumanbeingswhoseguilt,minutelyverbalizedandsetoutbybureaucracy,wasthatofbeing.ThemilionsofJewsbeaten,burnt,tortured,marched,starved,gassedtoextinction,themenandwomendrownedincess-pits,thechildrenthrownaliveintofire,theoldmenhangedonmeat-hooks,hadcommittedthesolecrimeofexisting.Eventhefetushadtobetornoutofthewomb,lesttherebeevenoneJewlefttobearwitness,toremember(thoughnoonewouldbelievehimorher,apointtheNazismadewithderisivelogic).AretheAmericanmassacres,thegenocideinRwandaanalogousH donotknow.WhatIdoknowisthattheunspeak-abletechnologyofhumiliation,torture,andbutchery一merelytocitethemistoscarandinsomesensedehumanizelanguage,asltriedtoshowinLanguageandSilence(1967)-arisingoutofanunresolveddemonologyand,itmaybe,self-hatredinEuropeanChristendom,Createdonthisearthamaterialmirror-imageofimaginedHel.TimeandspaceweremadestaticeternitiesofsufferinginwhattheNazis,unconsciouslyechoingDante,caled"theanusoftheworld"(Auschwitz).Onemightarguethattheabovepassageseemstocontainatoneofvictim'smentality,likethatinZnBluebeard'sCastle.However,asthetitleofthebook,Errataanexaminedlife,indicates,Steinerinfacttriestoscrutinizehisowninnerfeelingsbyaskingreadersevenharsherquestionsthanhaveeverbeenposedbefore.HasthesurvivaloftheJewbeenworththeappalingcost?Woulditnotbe132 国際経営論集 No.202000preferable,onthebalance-sheetofhumanmercies,ifhewastoebbintoassimilationandthecommonseasHtisnotonlythehorrorsofourcentury,oftheHitlerite-Stalinistpersecutionandmass一murderofJewswhichenforcethequestion･ItisnotonlythemidnightofmanatAuschwitz.Itistheaggregateofsufferingsince,say,thedestructionoHerusalemandthesecondTempleinA･D･70･Itistheunendinghomicide,humiliation,pariah-domvisitedonJewishmen,Womenandchildrennearlyeveryday,nearlyeveryhour,insomequarterofthe"civilizedHworld･Asconsumlng-thelonghistoryofflameclimaxingintheShoah-astheactualviolence,hasbeenthefear,thedegradation,themiasmaofcontempt,latentorexplicit,whichhasstainedJewishlivesingentilestreets,institutions,andcourtsoflaw(Shylockonhisknees).WhatJewishchild,acrossthemilenia,hasnotknownthegamutofthreatsandderision,ofexclusionorcondescensionwhichextendsfromblow,stonesthrown,frombeingspaton,althewaytotheurbanedistaste,tothewelcome"onsufferance"offeredbythegentile?EveryJewishfatheris,atsomepointinhislifeandpaternity,anAbrahamtoanisaaconthatunspeakablethree-dayjourneytoMountMoriah.4SteinerseemstowanttoexamineJewishhistoryfrom theglobalperspective;hedoesnotgivesuchfreereintohispassionashedidinInBluebeardsCastle.OnemightsaythatSteiner'sstancetowardswesterncultureisnowmoreneutral,keeplngawayfromavictim'smentality.Atthesametime,SteinertakesastepforwardtoarguewhetherwesternculturewouldhavecomeoutthewayitisnowwithouttheJews.Steinerargues:YethowdisproportionatelyradianthasbeentheJewishcontribution.ThatoftheHebrewBibleandofethicswhichburgeonfromitisincommensura-ble.Forbetterorforworse,RomeandMeccaarethedaughters(matricidal?)ofJerusalem.ConsideronlymodernityandtheclimateofourGeorgeSteiner'sEr71ataandT.S.Eliot'sNotes 133age.clichさhasitthatthisclimatestemsdirectlyfromMarx,Freud,andEinstein(thoughDarwinmust,surely,beadded)･Morethanahundredtonguescharacterizetheirbureaucracies,thegrayanonymities,theneur-osesoftheirsocialfabricbythename(usualymadeanadjective!)ofFranzKafka.Thecountofilustriousscientists,thosevisitorstoStockholm,whoareJews,atleastinorigin,issoaboveanystatisticalnormorexpectationastobegloriouslyembarrassing.MusichasbeenprovokedtoradicalrebirthbySchoenberg;anthropologybyLevi-Strauss;philosophybyWittgenstein;economictheorybyKennethArrow.ItisbythelightofProustthatwedescendthespiralstaircaseintotheself(animagedevisedbythehalf-Jew,Montaigne).Anycataloguewouldbeinterminableandotiose.WhatismoredifficulttoarticulateistheextenttowhichmodernityPerse,notablyintheexemplaryanddominantAmericanvein,issomarkedly"Jewish".Toagraphicextent,themass-media,山ehumor,thefiscalandmercantilesinewsofglobalenterprisewhichnowthreatentohomogenizetheglobe,areenergies,vastarcsofelectrifyingshock,whichhavesprungoutofemancipatedJudaism.5SteinerthusstressesJewishcontributionstowesternculture;hesays,forexample;HCanwesternhistoryandculturedowithoutitsJews?"6summingup,Onemightsaythatthereisnooppressivelypessimisticatmos-pherearisingoutofavictim'smentality,astherewasintheearlierwork.Steinerseemstobeinacalmerandmoreserenestageoflifeafterhisearliererrorsandwanderings.Steiner'StonereiteratingtheproudachievementsoftheJewsintheabove一mentionedpassagesoundscuriouslylikeEliot'sstressingofChris-tianityinwesternculture.EliotsaysinhisNotes:ToourChristianheritageweowemanythingsbesidereligiousfaith.134 国際経営論集 No,20 2000Throughitwetracetheevolutionofourarts,throughitwehaveourconceptlOnOfRomanLawwhichhasdonesomuchtoshapetheWesternWorld,throughitwehaveourconceptionsofprivateandpublicmorality.Andthroughitwehaveourcommonstandardsofliterature,inthelitera-turesofGreeceandRome.TheWesternworldhasitsunityinthisheritage,inChristianityandintheancientcivilizationsofGreece,Romeandlsrael,fromwhich,OwingtotwothousandyearsofChristianity,Wetraceourdescent.InSteiner'sErrata,then,thereisnolongeranyharshcriticismofEliot'SviewsofcultureofthekindfoundinInBluebeard'sCastle:SomeNotestowardstheRedefinitionofCulture:mysubtitleis,ofcourse,intendedinmemorationofEliot'sNotesof1948.Notanattractivebook.Onethatisgraywiththeshockofrecentbarbarism,butabarbarismwhoseactualsourcesandformstheargumentleavesfastidiouslyvague.SteinerreiteratesinthisworkthatEliot'sNotestowardstheDefz'nitionofCulturewouldbeamorecaptivatingworkthanitisifonlyEliotwouldmoreopenlyconsiderthepainfulfeelingsofJewishvictimsoftheHolocaust,whichwastheproductoftheinsanityandbarbarismindwelトingtheheartofwesternculture.However,inErrata,Steinerseemstodiscusshistoricaleventsinthewesternworldfromamoreobjectivepointofviewaltogether.Steinerargues:Alas,IcannotfeelmyselfapartytoacontractwithAbraham.ThusIamnoownerofafreehold,divinelycountersigned,onsomeacreintheMiddle-East10ranywhereelse.ItisthelogicalflawinZionism,asecular-politicalmovement,toinvokeatheologlCa1-scrlpturalmystlquetOWhichitGeorgeSteiner'sErrataandT.S.Eliot'sNotes 135cannot,inavowedtruth,subscribe.Nonetheless,theenigma,thesingularityofthesurvivaloftheJewaftertheShoah,persuadesmeofapurpose.IsraelisanindiQensablemiylaCle.Itscomingintobeing,itspersistenceagainstmilitary,geopoliticalodds,itscivicachievements,defyreasonedexpecta-tion.Todayitlookswithparadoxicalsatisfactiontonormalcy:tothedosagesofcrime,corruption,politicalmediocrity,andvulgaritiesoftheeverydaywhichcharacterizenationsandsocietieseverywhere.WhereJeremiahthundered,therearetoplessbars.Thisprecisely,iswhereIbalk.Itwould,Isense,besomewherescandalous(awordwithatheologicalprovenance)ifthemilenniaofrevelation,ofsummonstosuffering,iftheagonyofAbrahamandoflsaac,fromMountMoriahtoAuschwitz,hadasitslastconsequencetheestablishmentofanation-state,armedtotheteeth,alandforthebourseandthemafiosi,asarealotherlands.9ThereisanideaamongsomehistoriansthatthebuildingoftheStateofisraelinthelandofPalestineisanecessaryconsequenceofhistoryfortheJewswhowentthroughtheHolocaustinEurope.YetthereisnodenyingthatevenamongtheJewssomewoulddisagreewithsuchaview.Itwouldbereasonabletoargue,afteral,thatanoppressednationhasnobrieftooppressothersjustbecausetheywereonceoppressedinanotherpartoftheworld.SomemightsaythattheoppressedhavenowturnedouttobetheoppressorsinthelandofPalestine,andSteinerhimselfwouldcertainlywishtoconsiderthesituationoftheoppressedPalestinians,deprivedoftheirrighttoexist.Onemightsay,then,thatSteinertriestoanalyzethesignificanceoftheStateofIsraelfrom abroadhumanisticviewpoint.Steiner'sviewpointregardingnonJewish"others"hassomethingincommonwithEliot'Sviewofnon-Christian'scultureinhisNotes:136 国際経営論集 No.20 2000‥alwecandoistotrytokeeplnmindthatwhateverwedowilaffectourowncultureorthatofsomeotherpeople.Wecanalsolearntorespecteveryothercultureasawhole,howeverinferiortoourownitmayappear,Orhoweverjustlywemaydisapproveofsomefeaturesofit:thedeliberatedestructionofanothercultureasawholeisanirreparablewrong,almostasevilastotreathumanbeingslikeanimals･10ThispassagemightbetakenasEliot'sowndeepreflectiononNazi'spersecutionandgenocideperpetratedontheJews.IfSteinerhadtriedhardertoreadbetweenthelinesinEliot'sNotes,hewouldhaveacquireddifferentviewsonEliot'sideaofculture.Itremainstrue,however,thatSteinershowsastrongerconsiderationfortheoppressed"others"thanElioteverdoes.Ⅰnotherwords,Steinercanbesaidtodevelopamorehumanisticviewofhistoryinhisseriesofcriticalworks.JudgingfromSteiner'stoneinErylahz,hewouldseemtohavereachedamorematurestageofhislife.Notes1 GeraldGraf,Literatu71eagainstitself(Chicago:TheUniversityofChicagoPress,1979),p.31.2 GeorgeSteiner,InBluebeardsCastle(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,1971),p.31.3 GeorgeSteiner,Erylata(NewHavenandLondon:YaleUniversityPress,1998),pp.118-119.4 Ibid.,pp.56157.5 Ibid.,pp.58159.6 Ibid.,p.59.7 T.S.Eliot,ChristianityandCulture(NewYorkandLondon:HarcourtGeorgeSteiner'sErrataandT.S.Eliot'sNotes 137Brace&Company),pp,200-201.8 Steiner,ZnBluebeardsCastle,op.cit.,p.3.9 Steiner'sErylahz,oP.cit.,pp.59-60.10 Eliot,op.cit.,pp.1391140.138 国際経営論集 No.20 2000

George Steiner's Errata and T.S. Eliot's Notes

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George Steiner\u27s Errata and T.S. Eliot\u27s Notes

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