The Schema of the Theory of Reification by Wataru Hiromatsu

The Schema of the Theory of Reification by Wataru Hiromatsu

Available for the first time in English, Wataru Hiromatsu's Schema of the Theory of Reification argues that the change from Marx's theory of self-alienation to the concept of reification is crucial in establishing a new relational worldview which is still relevant today. Amongst other topics, his discussion of the understanding of society sees such things as a relational dynamic wherein the individual is constantly composed and composing in relation to others, including nature. This understanding is, he argues, the "single science of history" of Marx and Engels. This innovation offers a way to overcome the hypostasizing subject - object relation still so prevalent today.

Originally published in Japanese as Busshōkaron no kōzu by Iwanami Shoten, Publishers, Tokyo, 1983, 1994. © By Kuniko Hiromatsu.

Wataru Hiromatsu (1933-1994) was a Japanese philosopher. He was the author of numerous books on Marx, Hegel, and other subjects.

John Hocking is a freelance academic and literary translator from Japanese to English. He is currently undertaking two book translation projects, one of two short works by the philosopher Miki Kiyoshi, and the other of a work by Hiromatsu on the philosophy of the theory of relativity.