Abstract
Today, the paradox between global and local has become topical, and there has been various discussions on the formation of the new publicity. In particular, the restoration of collective self-government has become an issue with a fervent argument emerging between liberalism and communitarianism. While considering the actual situation mentioned in the phrases afore, I will analyze the circumstances surrounding communality and publicity of neighborhood groups, especially the chonaikai, which has formed the basis of Japanese society. I will also show how they are related to the realm of the “common, ” within the context of a restoration of collective self-government.
Based upon a historical or comparative analysis of thechonaikai, in this paper, I initially clarified that the communality of thechonaikai is based on “habitation”; cooperating in dealing with a common agenda in community life, regardless of social position, status, nor rank. Secondly, the framework of “governance, ” or “public” affairs, that results from the universalization of the aforementioned concept of communality, is expressed along with the publicity of thechonaikai. I point out, after all, that the logic of “chien” (habitant relationship) which serves as the base for “communality” and “publicity” of the chonaikai, is embedded in the aforementioned realm of the “common.”
