Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 61 (2007) award
Masachi Osawa
おおさわ まさち
Osawa Masachi
Pen Names:
Osawa Masachi（Used as an alternative author name in some publications）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1958-10-15 （Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan → Tokyo, Japan → Kyoto, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Sociologist, Author, Public Intellectual, Educator
- Active Years
- 1987-
- Affiliations
- Assistant, Faculty of Letters, University of Tokyo, Lecturer / Associate Professor, Faculty of Letters, Chiba University, Associate Professor / Professor, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Lecturer (part-time), School of Culture, Media and Society, Waseda University
- Memberships
- Japan Sociological Society
- Influenced By
- G. Spencer-Brown, Niklas Luhmann
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matsumoto Fukashi High School (Nagano) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| University of Tokyo | Faculty of Letters | Department of Sociology | 学士 | — | Japan |
| University of Tokyo | Graduate School of Sociology | Sociology | 博士（社会学） | 1987-1990 | Japan |
Matsumoto Fukashi High School (Nagano)
Country:
Japan
University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Sociology
Degree:
学士
Country:
Japan
Undergraduate degree (graduation year not specified)
University of Tokyo
Graduate School of Sociology
/ Sociology
Degree:
博士（社会学）
Period:
1987-1990
Year of Graduation:
1990
Country:
Japan
PhD awarded for the dissertation 'The Algebra of Action'
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award | The Origins of Nationalism | — | Mainichi Shimbun | winner |
| 2011 | Shinsho Award (New Book Award) | Mysterious Christianity (co-authored with Daizaburo Hashizume) | — | Chuko Publishing Co., Ltd. | winner |
| 2015 | Kawai Hayao Academic Prize | Freedom as a Prison | — | Kawai Hayao Foundation | winner |
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
2007
Work:
The Origins of Nationalism
Organization:
Mainichi Shimbun
Result:
winner
Shinsho Award (New Book Award)
2011
Work:
Mysterious Christianity (co-authored with Daizaburo Hashizume)
Organization:
Chuko Publishing Co., Ltd.
Result:
winner
Kawai Hayao Academic Prize
2015
Work:
Freedom as a Prison
Organization:
Kawai Hayao Foundation
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Algebra of Action — From Spencer-Brown to Social Systems Theory
1988 Academic (Sociology)A doctoral dissertation that uses G. Spencer-Brown's formal logic as an entry point to connect with social systems theory.
formal logicsocial systems theorytheoretical sociology
Comparative Sociology of the Body (Vol.1 & 2)
1990 SociologyA study reading modern society through comparative perspectives on the social meanings of the body.
the sociology of the bodycomparative sociologymodernity
The Origins of Nationalism
2007 Political / Social Theory 877 pagesA comprehensive examination of the historical and social origins of nationalism, discussing the formation of modern states and 'the nation'.
nationalismthe stateidentity
Freedom as a Prison — Responsibility, Publicness, and Capitalism
2015 Philosophical / Social TheoryA critical examination of the paradoxes and limits of freedom, linked to responsibility, publicness, and the structures of capitalism.
freedomresponsibilitypublicnesscapitalism
Bibliography
- The Algebra of Action — From Spencer-Brown to Social Systems Theory
- Comparative Sociology of the Body (Vol.1 & 2)
- The Paradox of Capitalism — Elliptical Illusions
- Meaning and Otherness
- Theory of Electronic Media — Medial Transformations of the Body
- The Origins of Nationalism
- Freedom as a Prison — Responsibility, Publicness, and Capitalism
- The Philosophy of 'World History' (Ancient, Medieval, Eastern, Islamic volumes)
- Thinking Techniques
- Paradoxes of the Classics: 50 Selections of Philosophical Ideas that Transform Conceptions
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- theoretical and logical argumentationinterdisciplinary approachessayistic and accessible tone
- Recurring Motifs
- freedomnationalismthe bodycapitalismresponsibility & publicness
Legacy
Masachi Osawa, grounded in theoretical sociology, has addressed a wide range of topics including modern society, nationalism, the body, and theories of freedom. His writings and public interventions have made him an influential figure in both academic and public intellectual circles in contemporary Japan.
Academic Societies
- Japan Sociological Society
In Popular Culture
- Appearances on TV and radio debate programs and online media
- Founder/editor of the journal THINKING 'O'
Quotes
-
Freedom as a Prison
Source: Freedom as a Prison (book) (2015) -
He examines contemporary social phenomena with rigorous logic from multiple angles.
Source: Profile (Wikipedia) (2016)
Trivia
- Born October 15, 1958, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.
- Graduate of the University of Tokyo; received a PhD in Sociology in 1990.
- Served as a professor at Kyoto University but resigned in 2009.
- Founder/editor of the intellectual journal THINKING 'O'.
- Won the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award for 'The Origins of Nationalism' and the Kawai Hayao Academic Prize for 'Freedom as a Prison'.
- Co-recipient of the Shinsho (New Book) Award in 2011 for 'Mysterious Christianity' (co-authored with Daizaburo Hashizume).
- Published 'Paradoxes of the Classics' (Asahi Shinsho) in February 2025.