Tetsugaku Companions to Japanese Philosophy – serie

This book contains short analyses (kaidai) of Ogyū Sorai’s (1666-1728) most important works, as well as a biography and a number of essays. The essays explore various aspects of his teachings, of the origins of his thought, and of the reception of his ideas in Japan, China, and Korea before and after "modernization" struck in the second half of the nineteenth century.Ogyū Sorai has come to be considered the pivotal thinker in the intellectual history of Early Modern Japan. More research has been done on Sorai than on any other Confucian thinker of this period. This book disentangles the modern reception from the way in which Sorai's ideas were understood and evaluated in Japan and China in the century following his death. The joint conclusion of the research of a number of the foremost specialists in Japan, Taiwan, and the West is that Sorai was and remains an original, innovative, and important thinker, but that his position within East-Asian thought should be redefined interms of the East-Asian tradition to which he belonged, and not in the paradigms of European History of Philosophy or Intellectual History. The book represents up-to-date scholarship and allows both the young scholar to acquaint himself with Sorai, and the intellectual historian to compare Sorai with other thinkers of other times and of other philosophical traditions.

This book contains short analyses (kaidai) of Ogyū Sorai’s (1666-1728) most important works, as well as a biography and a number of essays. The essays explore various aspects of his teachings, of the origins of his thought, and of the reception of his ideas in Japan, China, and Korea before and after "modernization" struck in the second half of the nineteenth century.Ogyū Sorai has come to be considered the pivotal thinker in the intellectual history of Early Modern Japan. More research has been done on Sorai than on any other Confucian thinker of this period. This book disentangles the modern reception from the way in which Sorai's ideas were understood and evaluated in Japan and China in the century following his death. The joint conclusion of the research of a number of the foremost specialists in Japan, Taiwan, and the West is that Sorai was and remains an original, innovative, and important thinker, but that his position within East-Asian thought should be redefined interms of the East-Asian tradition to which he belonged, and not in the paradigms of European History of Philosophy or Intellectual History. The book represents up-to-date scholarship and allows both the young scholar to acquaint himself with Sorai, and the intellectual historian to compare Sorai with other thinkers of other times and of other philosophical traditions.

This volume addresses the impact of the introduction of phenomenology in Japan and its interaction with Japanese philosophy. It is well known that phenomenology was introduced at a very early stage in Japan. Furthermore, phenomenology still constitutes one of the main currents of thought in Japan. However, the specific way in which phenomenology has interacted with the indigenous Japanese tradition of thought and Japanese culture has until now not been addressed in great detail. This volume fills that gap. It discusses in detail the encounter and the interaction between Japanese thought and phenomenological reflection, with special regards to the topics of awareness and the self, the experience of otherness, ethics, and metaphysical issues. The book shows how phenomenology has served, and still serves, Japan to re-comprehend its “own” tradition and its specific form(s) of culture. At the same time, it offers an example of how different cultures and traditions can be both preserved and developed in their reciprocal action. More in general, it advances the philosophical debate beyond cultural enclosures and beyond mere scholasticism. The phenomenological tradition has always been open to new and alien ideas. An encounter with Japanese philosophy can offer a new challenge to actual phenomenological thinking.

This volume addresses the impact of the introduction of phenomenology in Japan and its interaction with Japanese philosophy. It is well known that phenomenology was introduced at a very early stage in Japan. Furthermore, phenomenology still constitutes one of the main currents of thought in Japan. However, the specific way in which phenomenology has interacted with the indigenous Japanese tradition of thought and Japanese culture has until now not been addressed in great detail. This volume fills that gap. It discusses in detail the encounter and the interaction between Japanese thought and phenomenological reflection, with special regards to the topics of awareness and the self, the experience of otherness, ethics, and metaphysical issues. The book shows how phenomenology has served, and still serves, Japan to re-comprehend its “own” tradition and its specific form(s) of culture. At the same time, it offers an example of how different cultures and traditions can be both preserved and developed in their reciprocal action. More in general, it advances the philosophical debate beyond cultural enclosures and beyond mere scholasticism. The phenomenological tradition has always been open to new and alien ideas. An encounter with Japanese philosophy can offer a new challenge to actual phenomenological thinking.

This book presents the first collection of essays on the philosophy of Ueda Shizuteru in a Western language. Ueda, the last living member of the Kyoto school, has fostered the East-West dialogue in all his works and has helped to open up the Western image of philosophy by engaging the Zen tradition. The book reflects this particular trait of Ueda’s philosophy, but it also covers all thematic fields of his writings. Contributions from both young and established scholars and experts from Japan, Europe and the U.S. make this a unique introduction to and reception of Ueda’s philosophy. Readers will discover discussions of mysticism in the East and West, and consideration of modern philosophy topics including self-awareness, nature and poetic language. The book also presents a focussed look at language and nothingness, considering silence and nihilism. Chapters allow the reader to understand the timeliness of a thinking that mediates and transcends the dichotomy of East and West. This volume will appeal not only to scholars of Nishida, Japanese philosophy, mysticism and religious experience in Japan, but also to scholars of Western philosophy, especially those interested in Meister Eckhart, Martin Heidegger and Martin Buber. It makes an ideal introduction to Zen philosophy and presents important contributions to scholarship on language and experience.

This book presents the first collection of essays on the philosophy of Ueda Shizuteru in a Western language. Ueda, the last living member of the Kyoto school, has fostered the East-West dialogue in all his works and has helped to open up the Western image of philosophy by engaging the Zen tradition. The book reflects this particular trait of Ueda’s philosophy, but it also covers all thematic fields of his writings. Contributions from both young and established scholars and experts from Japan, Europe and the U.S. make this a unique introduction to and reception of Ueda’s philosophy. Readers will discover discussions of mysticism in the East and West, and consideration of modern philosophy topics including self-awareness, nature and poetic language. The book also presents a focussed look at language and nothingness, considering silence and nihilism. Chapters allow the reader to understand the timeliness of a thinking that mediates and transcends the dichotomy of East and West. This volume will appeal not only to scholars of Nishida, Japanese philosophy, mysticism and religious experience in Japan, but also to scholars of Western philosophy, especially those interested in Meister Eckhart, Martin Heidegger and Martin Buber. It makes an ideal introduction to Zen philosophy and presents important contributions to scholarship on language and experience.

This edited volume is the first in English that covers the philosophy of feeling and related topics in Japanese philosophy on Nishida Kitarō and fellow thinkers. Part I focuses on Nishida Kitarō’s philosophy of feeling, including, but not limited to, comparisons with Tanabe Hajime, Koyama Iwao, and provides coverage of Buddhist, moral and Chinese philosophy.  Part II goes beyond Kitarō into topics such as Japanese aesthetics, Nietsche’s reception in Japan, and the philosophy of AI. This is a comprehensive scholarly text on feeling in Japanese philosophy, aimed at researchers and students working in the field.

This edited volume is the first in English that covers the philosophy of feeling and related topics in Japanese philosophy on Nishida Kitarō and fellow thinkers. Part I focuses on Nishida Kitarō’s philosophy of feeling, including, but not limited to, comparisons with Tanabe Hajime, Koyama Iwao, and provides coverage of Buddhist, moral and Chinese philosophy.  Part II goes beyond Kitarō into topics such as Japanese aesthetics, Nietsche’s reception in Japan, and the philosophy of AI. This is a comprehensive scholarly text on feeling in Japanese philosophy, aimed at researchers and students working in the field.

This volume draws attention to the encounter between physics and Japanese philosophy during the last century. While a remarkable global network of Japanese philosophy has been growing and enhancing connections with the arts, religion, hermeneutics, aesthetics, the prevailing opinion is that there is no common ground for a meaningful dialogue between theoretical physics and Japanese philosophy. With a special focus on Nishida Kitarō's engagement with scientific thought, this book invites readers to appreciate both the significance of foundational questions arising from relativity and quantum theory for Japanese philosophy, and the insightful influence of certain East Asian philosophical notions on theoretical issues in modern physics.The idea for this volume came up during the conference ‘Philosophy and Physics between Europe and Japan, 1922-1953’, held at the University of Naples Federico II in October 2023. Bringing together contributions from scholars of multiple areas of expertise, this book highlights, on the one hand, the scientific sensitivity of certain philosophers of the Kyoto School, and on the other, the role played by their analyses in the conceptual development of some Japanese physicists. This text identifies new research crucial to refining the understanding of theoretical issues at the heart of modern physics as well as to Japanese philosophy from an inter-cultural perspective.  It appeals to researchers and students working at the crossroads of theoretical physics and Japanese philosophy.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the philosophy of Watsuji Tetsuro (1889-1960). Watsuji was one of the leading figures in modern Japanese philosophy and is increasingly being recognized internationally. Within Watsuji's oeuvre, this book focuses on "Ningen no gaku toshite no rinrigaku" (1934), "Fudo" (1935), and "Rinrigaku"(1937-1949) as well as on other related texts. This text is comprised of three parts and fifteen chapters. Each chapter is written by an accomplished scholar. The readers are introduced to the key concepts of Watsuji's thought: fuūdo, ningen/aidagara, rinri, sonzai, and ku followed by critical appropriations of Heidegger, Kant, and Hegel. Watsuji is then situated within the broader context of the Kyoto school philosophy. Watsuji's relevance is explored over a variety of topics within and outside of philosophy such as nature, ethics, transcultural philosophy, the history of ideas, education, and environmental politics. The appendix gives the reader a sample of Watsuji’s elegant style by offering a new translation of "The fundamental theory of fūdo." This text arguably comprises Watsuji's philosophy in a nutshell and is meant to complement the preceding chapters. This book appeals to teachers, researchers and graduate students.

This contributed volume investigates the non-Western understanding of happiness under the influence of various religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintō, and Christianity against Western thought on happiness. The chapters help clarify the particular characteristics of the concept of happiness that are unique to modern Japan. This book also reveals the regional deviations and historical determinants of the concept of happiness. The chapter authors represent an international collaboration, and thus open up new horizons for the study of the concept of happiness. This volume appeals to researchers and students working in these fields.

This book offers the first comprehensive collection of essays on the key concepts of Kitaro Nishida (1870-1945), the father of modern Japanese philosophy and founder of the Kyoto School. The essays analyze several of the major philosophical concepts in Nishida, including pure experience, absolute will, place, and acting intuition. They examine the meaning and positioning of Nishida’s philosophy in the history of philosophy, as well as in the contemporary world, and discuss the relevance of his philosophy in the present context. The book next looks at the significance of Nishida’s philosophy in the wider contexts of science, arts, and religion.The book includes a glossary of key terms that have been translated in a unified manner throughout the volume.