J Scott Hill's List: development

• enedict was commissioned to explain the Japanese culture, particularly to render their militarism and patriotism intelligible.
• "These contradictions, however, are the warp and woof of books on Japan. They are true. Both the sword and the chrysanthemum are a part of the picture. The Japanese are, to the highest degree, both aggressive and unaggressive, both militaristic and aesthetic, both insolent and polite, rigid and adaptable, submissive and resentful of being pushed around, loyal and treacherous, brave and timid, conservative and hospitable to new ways. They are terribly concerned about what other people will think of their behavior, and they are also overcome by guilt when other people know nothing of their misstep. Their soldiers are disciplined to the hilt but are also insubordinate" (Benedict 1947:3).
• As described by Benedict, Japanese culture is shaped primarily by an extreme awareness to social hierarchy, honor, virtue and duty (on and giri), and these social patterns, like the Zuni's Apollonian, play out in every social action, from war to child-rearing.

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