Antinomies of Agency: Liberalism and Asia.

This essay examines the concept of the liberal subject as an agent within Euro-American and Japanese intellectual discourses on Asia, particularly Japan, building on Walter Johnson's critique of agency. It traces how Orientalist and liberal frameworks historically positioned Asians as lacking self-determining subjectivity, a view challenged by postcolonial theory and scholars influenced by Foucault, who emphasize the role of power in constituting subjects. The essay also explores Japanese intellectual debates on subjectivity, including critiques of nationalism, fascism, and colonialism, and highlights the limitations of attributing agency solely as autonomous choice, especially in contexts of structural oppression. Finally, it suggests alternative notions of agency, such as multiply spirited subjectivities exemplified by figures like Deguchi Nao, which resist singular, self-originating subjecthood and open possibilities for social responsibility beyond liberal individualism.