Antiphilosophy, Philosophy, and Love: Reading of “Tony Takitani” by Murakami Haruki

Abstract

According to Badiou, the history of Western thought is constituted by a ceaseless dialogue between philosophy and antiphilosophy. In this article, I examine how love can be addressed in terms of the dialogue between Lacanian antiphilosophy and Badiouian philosophy. To this end, I present a reading of “Tony Takitani” by Japanese writer Murakami Haruki as subject matter to facilitate that dialogue. From the perspective of this article, it is crucial to hold onto both the psychoanalytic and philosophical readings of the story. Through the former, we can recognize that love is involved in the symptomatic real and that the lover is supposed to assume the position of a quasi-analyst to work through the symptom. Through the latter, we can consider that love should pass through the symptomatic real to construct the infinite truth and that love is a way to metaphysical happiness beyond animalistic satisfaction. Love thus belongs neither to philosophy nor to antiphilosophy but instead straddles the two disciplines. In this regard, “Tony Takitani” makes the dialogue between philosophy and antiphilosophy inconclusive.