Ahlem Faraoun - Mimetic Desire and Ressentiment in the Case of the Japan-South Korea Trade Dispute EJKS 20.2.12 .pdf (579.15 kB)
Mimetic desire and ressentiment in the case of the Japan–South Korea trade dispute
The purpose of this paper is to provide an explanatory account of the role of emotions in the trade dispute between Japan and South Korea which started in July 2019. Building on an integrated approach to the study of emotions in international relations, it argues that the collective experience of emotions in situations of conflict has to be understood in relation to the moralities assumed by the parties involved. It proposes a theoretical framework combining the concepts of mimetic desire and ressentiment coined by René Girard and Friedrich Nietzsche, respectively, in order to problematize the dialectic of power-justice underlying the processes of legitimation and self-justification by the two countries. In this sense, the strong emotional reactivity between both elites and people in South Korea and Japan can be attributed to the contradictions between the desires for superiority and equality channelled by nation-state-centred narratives. It concludes that ending the cycle of emotional reactivity requires both parties to move toward commitments to justice and empathy at the domestic and international levels.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
European Journal of Korean StudiesISSN
2631-4134Publisher
European Journal of Korean StudiesExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
20Page range
251-300Department affiliated with
- Sociology and Criminology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2021-10-18First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-11-05First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2021-11-05Usage metrics
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