Literature as a Global Theory

This essay discusses the globalization of literature and its political implications, arguing that literature is not timeless or ahistorical but a modern invention deeply rooted in its historical, linguistic, and cultural context.I begin my arguments by pointing out that “literature” is not universal but a specifically European concept. In Japan, for example, the word “bungaku” (文学), which is translated as “literature”, had a different meaning before Soseki encountered English literature. Soseki confessed that he found it challenging to subsume Chinese classics and English literary works under a single definition of literature. This discrepancy between Chinese and English literature, Soseki argued, is because literature is not simply a collection of writings but a specific style of writing associated with modernity. Literature is not self-explanatory but requires a certain level of cultural literacy to understand. Therefore, the globalisation of literature is not simply a process of spreading European literary culture to other parts of the world. Instead, it adapts European literary forms and concepts to different cultural contexts. This process is often fraught with political implications, as it can involve imposing hegemonic cultural values on marginalized cultures. I conclude by arguing that there is no such thing as political literature, but only literary politics. The style of writing as such is the ambiguous process of modernisation. This means that literature is not simply a tool for political propaganda but rather a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that can be used to explore and challenge a wide range of political issues.