This article examines three recent publications of MiddleEastern Studies in Japan. Firstly, A History of the Palestine Problem and the Nation State; Palestinians and the Modern World, by Masuo TOMIOKA, (Akashi-Shoten, Tokyo, 1993; in Japanese). It is based on a rather peculiar theory that commerce in essence is peaceful. Also, that it even has a peace keeping ability, though agriculture it's claimed does not. According to this theory, the nation state is based on agriculture, and as people need land for agriculture and struggle for it, conflict and war occur. However, due to the recent accelerated growth in commerce and industry, (here they are classed as the same), the nation state will be overwhelmed and peace will, according to this theory, prevail. The author applies this theory to the case of Palestine. He argues that with the emergence of a Palestinian nation state peace will come to the Middle East immediately because of commerce and industry. However, if one applies his theory, such a peaceful prospect could not actually happen immediately, as to begin with the newly established Palestinian nation state would be based on agriculture with its attendant struggles and conflicts for land. Moreover, the theory oversimplifies the recent development of commerce (and industry) in the Third World. It stresses the economic development of NICs (Newly Industrialized Countries-South Korea, Mexico, etc.), but does not draw attention to the negative aspects of such development, social problems caused by transnational corporations, undemocratic state bureaucracy, etc. An indispensable understanding of the rise of fundamentalist social movements in Palestine, Israel and other Middle Eastern countries is beyond the scope of this theory. The author derives the theory from criticizing the works of J. R. Hicks and Karl Marx but his criticism is based on arbitrary interpretations of their theories. Secondly, The Republic of Merchants; Aleppo, the oldest suq in the world, by Miyoko KURODA (Fugiwara-Shoten, Tokyo, 1995; in Japanese). This is a poor work of social science, it lacks analysis of the structure of the merchants' community of Aleppo as a republic. It suffers from methodological poverty, caused by a sweeping criticism of Max Weber who is accused of being an orientalist, and by neglecting the total frame of reference set by C. Geertz who is mentioned only as a precursor. Thirdly, Islam as a Civilization, (University of Tokyo Press, 1995; in Japanese), by Hiroshi KATO. It contains contradictory comments on the analytical framework of Islamic society. The author traces the ecological features of the Middle East and emphasizes the importance of technological innovation and criticizes contemporary studies of Islamic societies which opt to analyze the circulation process rather than the production process of the economy. On the other hand, in the Epilogue he introduces a mercantile theory by Katsuhiro IWAI and Kojin KARATANI as a useful one to analyze freedom in Islamic society, which defines capitalism as a system to get profit from a difference in prices, and which disregards the production process. However, this theory should be supplemented by another on the non-market economy in order to try and understand society as a whole. He suggests, rather than argues, thao C. Geertz's analysis on village economy, summed up by Yonosuke KARA as an important rationalistic approach. He doesn't mention the far richer attempt made by Max Weber. It is important to analyze the specific features of commerce and market in order to understand the Middle East or indeed Islamic society. Economic theories provide various sets of different interpretations of market and non-market economy. The authors of these works overlook the theoretical heritage of Adam Smith, Karl Marx and Max Weber, etc., who tried to make a linkage between economy and Human Rights (its thoughts, its institutional
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