The Chrysanthemum And The Sword: Patterns Of Japanese Culture
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
Few works of cultural anthropology have proven as enduring or as controversial as The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Ruth Benedict's landmark study of Japanese society commissioned by the U.S. government during the final years of World War II. Written without Benedict ever setting foot in Japan, the work constructs a sweeping portrait of Japanese culture — its aesthetics, its rituals, its contradictions — through the dual symbols of the chrysanthemum, representing beauty and refinement, and the sword, embodying the martial discipline that shaped a nation. Benedict argues that Japanese society is governed by a deeply rooted shame culture, as opposed to the Western guilt culture, a distinction that illuminates the codes of honour, obligation, and self-sacrifice that defined Japanese behaviour both in war and in peace. Groundbreaking in its methodology and bold in its conclusions, this work stands as a foundational text in the field of cultural anthropology and remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Japanese identity. Benedict's prose is precise yet vivid, weaving together historical analysis, behavioural observation, and cultural theory into a seamless and authoritative narrative. Though debated by scholars for decades, its core insights into the tension between duty and desire, hierarchy and grace, continue to resonate — leaving the reader to wonder whether any culture can ever be truly understood from the outside.
Author: Ruth Benedict
Format: Paperback
Genre: Anthropology
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
Few works of cultural anthropology have proven as enduring or as controversial as The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Ruth Benedict's landmark study of Japanese society commissioned by the U.S. government during the final years of World War II. Written without Benedict ever setting foot in Japan, the work constructs a sweeping portrait of Japanese culture — its aesthetics, its rituals, its contradictions — through the dual symbols of the chrysanthemum, representing beauty and refinement, and the sword, embodying the martial discipline that shaped a nation. Benedict argues that Japanese society is governed by a deeply rooted shame culture, as opposed to the Western guilt culture, a distinction that illuminates the codes of honour, obligation, and self-sacrifice that defined Japanese behaviour both in war and in peace. Groundbreaking in its methodology and bold in its conclusions, this work stands as a foundational text in the field of cultural anthropology and remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Japanese identity. Benedict's prose is precise yet vivid, weaving together historical analysis, behavioural observation, and cultural theory into a seamless and authoritative narrative. Though debated by scholars for decades, its core insights into the tension between duty and desire, hierarchy and grace, continue to resonate — leaving the reader to wonder whether any culture can ever be truly understood from the outside.