Women’s thoughts

Author: [Japan] Ueno Chizuko

Translator: Lu Weiwei

Version: Zhejiang University Press

September 2022

Recommended index:★★★★★Presenter: Qing Qingzi

In recent years, many works by Chihiro Ueno have been translated and published. During this period, there are two books, one is "Starting from Limit" and the other is "Women’s Thought" to be recommended today. Although the styles of the two books are different, after reading them, we will realize that both books are dialogues. The former is a dialogue between Ueno and Suzuki liang zi about their own confusion, while the latter is a dialogue between Ueno and her predecessors who influenced and forged her and their works.

The Thought of Women is divided into two parts. In the first part, the works of five Japanese female thinkers are selected, namely Morizaki Kazuji, Shimuli Daozi, Tanaka Zhongjin, Taeko Tomioka and Shuitian Zongzi. The second part introduces and guides five western thinkers who are more familiar to readers: michel foucault, edward said, Eve Kosovski Segivik, Joan wallach Scott and Judith Butler.

Among these thinkers, Ueno Chizuko has repeatedly expressed the important influence of Morizaki and Jiang on her. In the recommendation of Miss Tangxing written by Morizaki and Kawasaki published in June this year, Ueno once wrote: "I want to find a language that only belongs to women when women tell their experiences. What struck me was Morizaki’s words … How much influence did this man have on me? It is too difficult to estimate. " The same words also appeared in Women’s Mind: "I selected the books that I have read and gained strength from, which constitute my blood and flesh, and interpreted them … In other words, this book is my understanding and my’ creation’."

It is worth mentioning that in the dialogue between Ueno Chizuko and these thinkers, their influence on Japanese sociology, feminist/gender studies and women’s liberation movement was also introduced. Language and thought, of course, are not created out of thin air. Ueno took over the language and thought of her predecessors, and now we have taken over the book from her.

Author/Wang Qing

Editor/Li Yongbo Gong Zhaohua

Proofreading/Wang Xin