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also brings to mind the Italian political theorist Antonio Gramsci (1891
-
1937) and his notion of counter-hegemony. Gramsci
s political ideas about
how to change the world arose from the dictum of the French thinker and
writer Romain Rolland (1866
'
1944), Pessimism of the Intellect, Optimism of
the Will. Young Soka Gakkai members
-
'
political activism reveals a similar
attitude. Indeed, Rolland
is dictum is one that can be found quoted in Soka
Gakkai literature. When Soka Gakkai Youth Division members describe the
election activities as a good way to take charge of their own life, it becomes a
process that concretely and in direct interaction with others attempts to put the
'
'
into practice. Optimism of the will is necessary because
canvassing for Komeito is challenging as they challenge dominant discourses
in the wider public sphere. On the other hand, Soka Gakkai members like to
challenge themselves; it becomes a way of being in the world, their religiosity.
The
optimism of the will
'
first challenge is internal because it is the process of changing the in
u-
ence of
'
pessimism of the intellect
'
, which may easily be a sense of political
apathy where one
'
s vote, one
'
s actions are not seen to count for much anyway.
This
'
apathy
'
is challenged during their election activities; outside those
activities, it a
ects other areas of their life. Challenging apathy is important if they
are, as they say they want to be,
of their life while becoming
contributing members of society. This is a continuous struggle, but one that
can lead to a mindset of greater courage. Courage for them is
'
scriptwriters
'
'
optimism of the
'
will
; it is enthusiasm and belief in their own abilities to create a more humane
world. For them the starting point of humanism is trying to encourage their
friends to believe in themselves, just as they try to encourage themselves to believe
in themselves. Canvassing for Komeito becomes part of a process of changing
themselves into con
dent political actors who believe change is possible.
Support for Komeito is one political movement that
is parti-
cular political culture and history; it is concrete and visible political action
taken to stand up for what they believe in. This process is not easy, nor is by
any means always successful.
The belief in Komeito as a political party that represents a social demo-
cratic force for political good is essential for supporters. Without this kind of
political agenda and the belief in Komeito politicians, the amount of e
fits into Japan
'
ort
they make would not be possible. Komeito politicians have mostly lived up to
the expectations of their supporters, although, as we saw during the coalition
years, there were some serious doubts as to how far Komeito remained a
progressive force or whether it was becoming more conservative and following
the LDP too much. Yet, being
was not constituted only in the
kind of policies promoted, but also meant a focus on changing oneself, that is
doing one
'
progressive
'
s human revolution. Young people come to see how their value
framework and state of mind are part of in
'
uencing the bigger discourses in
which the aim of the good society is not something that is achieved only
through getting certain political representatives elected, although this is
clearly an important part. Foucault saw the (bleak) possibility of resistance to
create new forms of subjectivity, but also that the practice of resistance is
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