- 31 Jul 2014
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I was discussing philosophy with my Japanese friend and I used the phrase: 「人間を自分から救えるのは死のみである。」 He replied that the "自分から" part makes no sense. I thought about it for a while, even though the particle that is normally used with 「救う」 is 「から」, the combination 「自分から」 means to do (by)yourself. 「自分からメールを送る」「自分から声を掛ける」 etc.
So, what is the right way to express this type of construction? "Save them from themselves". "Save him from himself". "Save yourself from yourself" etc. I think we can use 自身, right? 「君を君自身から救う」、「彼らを彼ら自身から守る」. Although when I google a construction like "自身から救う/守る" I get only 70~ hits each. Is it simply rarely used, or is it grammatically incorrect?
Although, I did find an actual 早稲田大学 essay called:
Title: 「君の友を君自身から守れ」 -エッセイ「友情」と震える主体-
Other Titles: "Guard Your Friend From Yourself" : "Friendship" and Trembling Subject
DSpace at Waseda University: 「君の友を君自身から守れ」 -エッセイ「友情」と震える主体-
I suppose that the literature division wouldn't publish a paper with an ungrammatical title.
Why is 「自身」 usable in this kind of situation and 「自分」 is not? Because 「自分] is a reflexive pronoun?
What about 「自分自身」? F.E.: 「人間を自分自身から救えるのは死のみである。」 Does this make sense (it probably doesn't because 「自分自身」 is an emphasized version of 「自分」 thus also a reflexive pronoun) or should I simply say 「人間を人間自身から救えるのは死のみである。」? Not even sure if the latter is usable as well...
So, what is the right way to express this type of construction? "Save them from themselves". "Save him from himself". "Save yourself from yourself" etc. I think we can use 自身, right? 「君を君自身から救う」、「彼らを彼ら自身から守る」. Although when I google a construction like "自身から救う/守る" I get only 70~ hits each. Is it simply rarely used, or is it grammatically incorrect?
Although, I did find an actual 早稲田大学 essay called:
Title: 「君の友を君自身から守れ」 -エッセイ「友情」と震える主体-
Other Titles: "Guard Your Friend From Yourself" : "Friendship" and Trembling Subject
DSpace at Waseda University: 「君の友を君自身から守れ」 -エッセイ「友情」と震える主体-
I suppose that the literature division wouldn't publish a paper with an ungrammatical title.
Why is 「自身」 usable in this kind of situation and 「自分」 is not? Because 「自分] is a reflexive pronoun?
What about 「自分自身」? F.E.: 「人間を自分自身から救えるのは死のみである。」 Does this make sense (it probably doesn't because 「自分自身」 is an emphasized version of 「自分」 thus also a reflexive pronoun) or should I simply say 「人間を人間自身から救えるのは死のみである。」? Not even sure if the latter is usable as well...