The Communion without Boundaries and Sakae Osugi's Anarchism

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the political ideals of Sakae Osugi. Osugi argued that it was possible to establish a “society of mutual aid” based on the principle of “expansion of life”. In his view, the hierarchy meant fixing the boundary and every boundary was an expression and exercise of power. That explains why anarchism is a perpetual movement which attempts to transcend every boundary forming the hierarchy. Osugi aimed at a free and diversified federal society where life is expanded. Osugi’s influence stemmed from his articulation of the basic concerns of his generation. That generation confronted difficulties of a different order from those faced by the Meiji leadership. Osugi was attracted to the problem presented by the emerging masses: how could they be incorporated into society? His reply to this question was “mutual aid”. This paper focuses on the relation between both notions of freedom and society and analyzes it throwing a light on the principle of “expansion of life” in Osugi's anarchism. Similarly to his contemporaries, it might be helpful to enquire into that principle, in a way that is beneficial to the relation between freedom and society.