- Examples discussed: Hermann Hesse’s “Siddhartha,” a musician interpreting medieval music, a Marvel editor posing as a Japanese writer, Carlos Castaneda’s fictional anthropological work, and Robert Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”
- Cultural appropriation is seen as more problematic when cultural elements from a less powerful group are taken by a more powerful one.
- A paper by Lenard and Balint is used to provide a structured definition of cultural appropriation. This definition includes four conditions: taking, value, knowledge or culpable ignorance, and contested context.
- Cultural appropriation covers a spectrum ranging from clearly impermissible to probably unproblematic, depending on various factors such as the intent behind the taking, the significance of the cultural element within its original context, and the effects of the appropriation on the originating culture.
For a long time, we have been watching the public discussion on cultural appropriation, and I know that many writers and philosophers, even guests we have interviewed here on Daily Philosophy, have been reluctant to discuss the topic in public. All the more it is necessary, in my opinion, that we philosophers try to bring some light into this discussion, and that we contribute whatever we can towards clarifying the issues involved.
I started being aware of questions related to cultural appropriation while I was discussing Hermann Hesse’s book Siddhartha. You can find this article on the Daily Philosophy Substack.
Hesse’s India that never was
Hermann Hesse located his story of growth and enlightenment in a fictional (one might say “kitsch”) India at the time of Buddha’s life. The focus of the story is always on the protagonist and his inner development, and Hesse is clearly not trying to give us a faithful image of ancient India and the lives of its people. Essentially, the country is a mere backdrop, a scenery that is adapted and tailored to the needs of the story and its protagonists. The book as a whole has a fairy-tale structure and cast. There is the usual “courtesan with a heart of gold,” the “sidekick” and the “wise mentor,” who accompany the hero on his journey. There are obstacles to overcome, love to be won, a friendship that never ends, temptations that the hero manages to conquer, a “dark night of the soul” in which the hero almost kills himself – and the final moment of enlightenment that justifies the hero’s journey and brings balance and justice back to the universe.
Yes, all those are tropes seen thousands of times in literature, and particularly in the Bildungsroman genre, of which Siddhartha is a prime example. Still, this is a great book. It is thoughtful, tender, insightful, emotionally honest and gripping – written in an almost hypnotic language that ultimately transforms readers and makes them experience Siddhartha’s journey as if it was their own.
Still, …
Read the full article which is published on Daily Philosophy (external link)
