∮ ∮ ∮ ∮

This research group aims to take steps towards describing a new dimension of ethics through the elucidation of the concept of, and sensations associated with, dirtiness and impurity. In her classic work Purity and Danger, Mary Douglas took 'dirtiness' to be the disruption of order. In this way, the forms of dirtiness, pollution and avoidance which this research group takes as its subject is broad, including both those associated with death, garbage, pollution and contamination, but also the exclusion of minorities or vulnerable groups which sheds light on power and associated mechanisms which constitute particular social orders.

When thinking about the words we use on a daily basis, we often, for example, refer to the inappropriate actions of those in public positions as 'corrupt', or the act of committing a crime as 'getting one's hands dirty'. In this way, the field of morality and ethics, in dealing with ideas of virtue and correct conduct, seems to be inseparable from concepts of cleanliness/dirtiness and purity/impurity. If this is the case, why is this so? We take these issues as a starting point in examining the relationship between ethics and dirtiness.

Furthermore, we often hear in our modern society words and action that work to 'dirty' certain social groups, or, at the same time, to 'detoxify' ourselves. Along with an increase in our sense of crisis towards infection, we may also be reworking our sense of our own and other's bodies, in ways which are connected to the avoidance of pollution. These issues also comprise a key aspect which we would like to explore in our research.

Our research group activities are predicated on the exchange of knowledge and concepts accumulated in different fields, including anthropology, ethics, sociology, environmental studies, history, geography and aesthetics. As such, contributions from a wide range of specialists form a key part of our remit. Furthermore, whilst exploring ways of thinking about and discussing particular topics which differ from regular research presentations, for example in putting emphasis on the exchange of images, we hope to take our investigations into places which do not yet appear as ordered theories and concepts.

Translated from Japanese, 24.11.2021