Karatani Kojin's "Power and Modes of Exchange" Released in Paperback: Rethinking How the World Is Formed Through "Exchange"

Explanation

"Power and Modes of Exchange," the major work of Karatani Kojin, one of Japan's leading thinkers, has been extensively revised and released in paperback. Karatani holds that at the root of what has driven human society lies "the way goods and power are exchanged" (modes of exchange).

For example, there is "gift-giving," which forms relationships between people through presents; "plunder and redistribution," carried out by the state through taxation and rule; and "commodity exchange," in which money and goods are traded in the market. His view is that which of these forms of exchange becomes central determines the shape of society—community, state, or capitalism. Karatani further seeks to find, in a new mode of exchange that transcends these, hope for overcoming war and inequality.

Exchange is not only about "buying with money"—this perspective, which reconsiders how people and societies relate to one another, offers a hint for understanding a present marked by deepening division and conflict. Reading critical essays also means questioning, from a different angle, a world that appears to be taken for granted.