# Interesting article on Western impressions of feudal Japan



## Miskatonic (Jul 21, 2015)

This article discusses the book Bushido: The Soul of Japan, and the many misconceptions it created about Japan, the Samurai class, Bushido, etc.

Bushido: Way of Total Bullshit - Tofugu


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## Mythopoet (Jul 21, 2015)

I get my impressions of feudal Japan from anime. There were totally demons roaming the land, which was why it was so chaotic. Rumiko Takahashi says so.

Ok, probably not much better than the thoroughly debunked Bushido book. :wink:


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## Miskatonic (Jul 22, 2015)

Mythopoet said:


> I get my impressions of feudal Japan from anime. There were totally demons roaming the land, which was why it was so chaotic. Rumiko Takahashi says so.
> 
> Ok, probably not much better than the thoroughly debunked Bushido book. :wink:



Yeah, probably not much different than medieval Europe. Valiant knights in shining armor, chivalry, damsels in distress. Bullshit. History romanticizing knows no cultural bounds.


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## Gurkhal (Jul 22, 2015)

Miskatonic said:


> Yeah, probably not much different than medieval Europe. Valiant knights in shining armor, chivalry, damsels in distress. Bullshit. History romanticizing knows no cultural bounds.



Disagree about chivalry being bullshit. What is bullshit is the Disney-version of chivalry which is what most people tend to be critical about and think somehow is what it means, not the ideals that was actually admired in the real world. And to say that chivalry is bullshit because it wasn't followed 100% in life is like saying that human rights, humanism or equality between sexes is bullshit in our time because not everyone followes it 100% at all times, especially the powerful.


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## Miskatonic (Jul 23, 2015)

Gurkhal said:


> Disagree about chivalry being bullshit. What is bullshit is the Disney-version of chivalry which is what most people tend to be critical about and think somehow is what it means, not the ideals that was actually admired in the real world. And to say that chivalry is bullshit because it wasn't followed 100% in life is like saying that human rights, humanism or equality between sexes is bullshit in our time because not everyone followes it 100% at all times, especially the powerful.



A lot of chivalry was just woman worship. I consider that bullshit.

Equality doesn't exist and never will. Equality is based on the idea of human rights, which are a myth.


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## Russ (Jul 23, 2015)

Miskatonic said:


> A lot of chivalry was just woman worship. I consider that bullshit.
> 
> Equality doesn't exist and never will. Equality is based on the idea of human rights, which are a myth.



You are missing the point.

The point is not whether or not "woman worship" is BS.  The point is that it existed as an ideal or goal to follow.

Equality is a tricky thing and hard to define.  It is kind of like justice.  I have heard it described as like a statute we cannot see directly but we try to understand the true shape of through observing its shadows.

Equality is an ideal or a goal.  Just because it cannot be achieved perfectly does not mean we should not as individuals or a culture strive to obtain it or get closer to it.  Like literacy or the elimination of starvation.  Even though we know that we will likely never have a perfectly literate world, or feed everyone perfectly, it does not mean that those ideals are not worth striving for.

To abandon such ideals is effectively moral and cultural suicide.


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## Feo Takahari (Jul 23, 2015)

Interesting stuff about what the romanticization of bushido did to WWII Japan, but I would have liked to see more about what it did to contemporary Japan. I've heard it still impacts things like the treatment of people who are mentally ill.


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## X Equestris (Jul 23, 2015)

Miskatonic said:


> A lot of chivalry was just woman worship. I consider that bullshit.
> 
> Equality doesn't exist and never will. Equality is based on the idea of human rights, which are a myth.



Chivalry, actual medieval chivalry, was about a lot more than "woman worship": https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry

Equality is an ideal.  It may not be reachable all the time, but there's no reason not to try.  And whether or not human rights are a myth is up to one's personal views.


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## Gurkhal (Jul 24, 2015)

Miskatonic said:


> A lot of chivalry was just woman worship. I consider that bullshit.
> 
> Equality doesn't exist and never will. Equality is based on the idea of human rights, which are a myth.



"Woman worship" whatever that means, can in my interpretation of the term, be considered a part of chivalry but it was also much more.

In regards to equality its true that it don't exist at present but for some reason we are enacting laws, adjusting common morales etc. in order to come closer to it and even have the whole "feminist"-thing going to work towards it. Thus I dare say that its a concept and ideal that is influential and real in our world and society.

And thus chivalry is close to the same like equality in that its an ideal people strove towards. Just like other ideals and just because there isn't a flawless 100% adherence to every detail of it does not mean that its all bullshit and it had not importance within that time and society.


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## Lunaairis (Jul 25, 2015)

extra credits has a video series following the warring states in japan. Here you can see how the only loyal people in japan were the ninjas. 

[video=youtube_share;hDsdkoln59A]https://youtu.be/hDsdkoln59A[/video]


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