French Literature Research: Opening and Cultivating the World Behind Words

2026/10/31

In the Major in French Literature at the Faculty of Letters, students broadly study linguistics as well as the literature, thought, and culture of the French-speaking world from the Middle Ages to the present day. Within this field, I specialize in 18th-century French literature and the history of ideas.

In high school Japanese language classes, students are trained to solve problems as if a single, objective correct answer exists regarding the content of a literary work or the author's intent. However, literary research at the university level begins by questioning the very premise of "objectivity" and "correct answers." Critically re-examining the frameworks considered to be correct interpretations and presenting one's own interpretation by deciphering the historical background and the structure of the work—this "practice of critique" is the true essence of French literature research.

My own work involves elucidating the thought and style of the 18th-century writer Diderot, as well as conducting research into the history of ideas regarding the concept of "energy" at that time.

Diderot is famous as the editor of the "Encyclopédie," considered a monument of 18th-century Enlightenment thought, but he also left behind masterpieces in diverse fields such as literature, art criticism, natural philosophy, and medical sciences. What I find particularly noteworthy is that during that era—and not just in Diderot's case—the two fields of natural science and literature were continuous and closely intertwined. The word that mediated between these two was "energy."

Some words from that time have different meanings than they do today, and Diderot also had his own unique usages. When I can find hidden messages or new interpretations within a work through analysis focused on these points or through semantic analysis of the word "energy," I experience an irreplaceable joy—the feeling of having engaged in a dialogue across time and space with Diderot and the 18th century.

Depending on how you approach them, the classics are not relics for learning boring "correct answers," but transform into texts that are truly clusters of "energy" that shake our fixed ideas. I hope that students will hone their own unique perspectives and experience this intellectual thrill at the university.