I read "Philosophy from Japanese"

I read Masahiro Hirao's "Philosophy from Japanese".

It is a relatively recent book, published last year in 2022. I bought it because it seemed to have a good reputation online.

The author, Masahiro Hirao, is a Japanese philosopher. Although the subtitle asks, "Why must you not write academic papers in the 'desu-masu' style?", the author actually decided to write this book because he was once asked to revise a paper he submitted in the 'desu-masu' style to the 'dearu-da' style, which led him to wonder, "Why on earth am I not allowed to write papers in 'desu-masu'?"
As a result, this unique book was born, in which the author spends the entire volume thinking through nothing but the difference between 'desu-masu' and 'dearu-da'.

Judging by the theme, you might think it is a dull or geeky book at first glance, but true to its reputation, it was surprisingly interesting.

The way it gradually closes in on the mystery of "Why must you not write academic papers in the 'desu-masu' style?" and finally converges brilliantly is like a kind of mystery novel, making it first-class intellectual entertainment.
In fact, the catharsis of the final decisive sentence of the main text, which the author surely intended, is incredible, making it a strange philosophical book that fits a mystery-like catchphrase such as, "You will surely be moved by the final sentence...!"

Of course, common-sense answers that anyone could immediately think of, such as "'desu-masu' is a polite and subjective style, so 'dearu-da' is appropriate for writing neutrally and objectively," are quickly discarded.
The difference between 'desu-masu' and 'dearu-da' is not something like that; it is revealed that the worldviews they assume are different to begin with. Moreover, it even presents a vision that leads to the difference in the ethics each one holds. How grand.

For example, I, Egusa, am writing this note in 'desu-masu', but I haven't been able to verbalize why I choose 'desu-masu' myself. I have tried writing in 'dearu-da' a few times, but it just doesn't feel right or settled. However, I don't know the reason myself.
On the other hand, among the people I follow, there are quite a few who write in 'dearu-da'. Perhaps they, in turn, would not feel settled if they wrote in 'desu-masu'.

If that is the case, where does the difference in the writing style chosen by each author come from? Isn't it mysterious, if you think about it?

However, after reading this book, I finally felt that I understood why I end up writing in 'desu-masu'.
I see, I use 'desu-masu' because that is how I view the world when I am writing a note.
This was quite a moving and thrilling experience.

In the genre of philosophy books, where the path of inquiry is important, it is generally not recommended to extract and present only the conclusion, and since this book is also a kind of mystery, spoilers would be rude. I will not present the conclusion of this book here.
I hope that everyone will read this book through to the end and reach the moving finale.

Nevertheless, for many people, the psychological hurdle is high when they hear the term "philosophy book."
Admittedly, there is a certain level of difficulty given the subject matter, but this book can still be said to be sufficiently easy to read.
Although it is a philosophy book, it is a book for the general public, not a specialized text, so the terminology is basically simple. Even the non-general terms that appear occasionally are explained carefully, and the writing is generally very easy to read. The logic of the inquiry is also careful and orderly, so it does not leave the reader lost. There are even humorous comments here and there, making it actually fun and interesting to read.
As for the reading experience, it is perhaps close to Koichiro Kokubun's “The Ethics of Boredom and Idleness”. Both are quite easy to read compared to the seriousness of the themes discussed, and both share a mystery-like style that gradually approaches the riddle posed at the beginning. I think those who enjoyed "The Ethics of Boredom and Idleness" will also enjoy this book.

This book allows you to taste the true essence of the fun of philosophy by letting you experience the intellectual mystery hidden within the 'desu-masu' and 'dearu-da' styles that we use casually in our daily lives.
It is especially recommended for those who have ever struggled with the distinction between 'desu-masu' and 'dearu-da' when writing.