이토 게이카쿠(伊藤計劃)『하모니』(ハーモニー)를 통해 본 통제와 자유의 의미

Abstract

Born in Tokyo in 1974, Project Itoh -real name Satoshi Itō- graduated from the Faculty of Art at Musashino University and made his debut as a writer in 2007 with Genocidal Organ. In 2008, he published his second novel, Harmony, which won the 30th Nihon SF Taisho Award and the 40th Seiun Award in 2009, making Project Itoh’s name a widely known one in the field of Japanese literature. However, he died of lung cancer in March 2009, before he received these awards. The English translation of Harmony received a Philip K. Dick Award special citation, but this was also a posthumous honor. Project Itoh passed away, leaving only three novels and one book of short stories written over a period of less than three years. However, as can be seen from the several awards he received, he is highly regarded as a writer who had a strong influence on Japanese science fiction of the 2000s because of the quality of his novels. This paper re-reads Harmony from the perspective of the history of mankind overcoming disease and the imposition of control over individual freedom. As shown in the disease prevention policy carried out by the Nazis, historically, individual freedom has been controlled in the name of protecting the community from risks such as disease, and this tendency has been repeated in history to varying degrees. This fact plays a role in Harmony, as it shows how a judgmental culture involving peer pressure exists in Japanese society, which has the negative effect of suppressing the free thinking and self-expression of individuals. The overall suffocating atmosphere felt in the world of Harmony is largely attributable to these socio-cultural factors. In addition, this paper analyzes how the novel demonstrates that the development of science and technology and the advancement of knowledge has lead to the establishment of greater human dignity and the development of civilized political institutions and moral norms, but conversely they also have the capacity to reduce human autonomy and freedom. Harmony, a novel that depicts a dystopian future, meticulously captures the unique climate of modern Japanese society that suppresses individual freedom through a constricting atmosphere and peer pressure, fosters the loss of individual identity, and restricts freedom of expression, even though the existence of these problems is not clearly perceived.