Kyōto school
Quick Summary
The Kyoto school was a 20th-century Japanese philosophical movement that emerged from the work of Nishida Kitarō. This school sought to integrate Western philosophical traditions with indigenous East Asian philosophies and religions, particularly Buddhism and Shinto.1
Key characteristics of the Kyoto school include:
* Focus on "Nothingness": Building on Nishida's concept of mu (nothingness), philosophers like Nishitani Keiji explored this idea, drawing from Zen Buddhism and thinkers like Martin Heidegger.12
* "Betweenness": Watsuji Tetsurō proposed an ethical concept of "betweenness," emphasizing the dialectical tension between individual freedom and social norms.1
* Critique of Nationalism: Post-World War II, philosophers like Tanabe Hajime reflected on philosophy's role in wartime ideologies, developing theories of repentance and the "logic of the specific" to avoid absolutist claims.1
The Kyoto school aimed to create a distinctively Japanese philosophical discourse that engaged with global thought while remaining rooted in its cultural heritage.1
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