Search

As an alternative to the multiple studies about the philosophy of Nishida Kitarõ (1870- 1945), this essay wants to present a research line about questions not normally considered in the interpretation of his philosophy. The intention is to demonstrate how a close look to the idea of «symbol» and the citations of symbolist poetry in Nishida’s works can offer a plausible key for a better comprehension of his selfconsciousness system that appears in works as Intuition and Reflection in Self-consciousness (1917) or Problems of consciousness (1920)., Como alternativa a los múltiples acercamientos y estudios sobre la filosofía de Nishida Kitarõ (1870-1945), en este trabajo se quiere presentar un avance de investigación sobre una cuestión normalmente obviada en las interpretaciones de la obra del filósofo. Se querrá mostrar cómo una mirada atenta a la idea de símbolo y las menciones a la poesía simbolista en la obra de Nishida ofrecen una clave plausible para una mejor comprensión de su sistema de la autoconciencia en obras como Intuición y reflexiónen la autoconciencia (1917) o Los problemas de la conciencia (1920).

We explore the nature of expert minds in skilled performance by examining classic Japanese dramatist Zeami's account of skilled expertise in Noh drama. Zeami characterizes expert minds by the co-existence of mushin and riken no ken. Mushin (no-mind) is an empty state of mind devoid of mental contents. Riken no ken (seeing with a separate seeing) is a distinctive form of self-awareness, where the actor embodies a common perspective with the audience upon one's own performance. Conventional accounts of riken no ken present it as a form of imagination: expert actors deliver their performance by imagining what it looks like from an external point of view. These imagination-based accounts, however, do not square well with the claim that riken no ken co-exists with mushin. We propose an alternative perception-based account that better accounts for this co-existence, drawing on the concept of situated normativity from embodied-ecological theories of cognition. The situated normativity account characterizes riken no ken as a form of direct affective perception in which actors are aware of their performance's quality of attunement with the performative situation. Expert Noh actors realise a common perspective with the audience not by imagining an external point of view, but by perceiving the situation that encompasses their own performance from an aesthetic perspective cultivated and shared within the Noh community.

Recent research about the microbiome points to a picture in which we, humans, are ‘living through’ nature, and nature itself is living in us. Our bodies are hosting—and depend on—the multiple species that constitute human microbiota. This article will discuss current research on the microbiome through the ideas of Japanese ecologist Imanishi Kinji (1902–1992). First, some of Imanishi’s key ideas regarding the world of living beings and multispecies societies are presented. Second, seven types of relationships concerning the human microbiome, human beings, and the environment are explored. Third, inspired by Imanishi’s work, this paper develops the idea of dynamic, porous, and complex multispecies societies in which different living beings or species are codependent on others, including microbiota and human beings.

This thesis is an investigation into the phenomenon which Shozo Ohmori (1921-1997) considered “a peculiar manner of awareness”, and to which he attributed the term ‘fancy’. The objective is to achieve an approximate understanding of Ohmori’s theory of ‘fancy’, as it relates to awareness of entities in three-dimensional space, and the extensions mentioned in his only publication in English: “Beyond Hume’s Fancy” (1974). This objective will be realized by asking three questions. The first question is how we are to understand the demarcation of the different phenomena of awareness which Ohmori identifies. The second question that this thesis asks is what applications that the phenomenon ‘fancy’ mentioned in Ohmori’s account have, as Ohmori saw it. Having answered these questions, I will then make an assessment of another salient consideration: how does Ohmori’s employment of the term ‘fancy’ relate to Hume’s employment of the same term (seeing as the name of Ohmori’s article makes such a reference). As we shall see, Ohmori is attempting to identify a more specific phenomenon than the widely discussed issue of thinking about something that is not currently perceivable in our perceptual field. The third and final question that this thesis asks is whether there are any salient issues with Ohmori’s theory of ‘fancy’ and, if so, whether those issues can be resolved. When we are aware of entities in three-dimensional space, we are subject to various mental processes. Our awareness, seemingly, uses different modes of interpretation and orientation. In other words, our ‘point of view’ (which is something that not only pertains to the use of our visual sensory organs) determines both our place and relation towards other entities. One salient issue when considering the notion of awareness is how and by which order awareness emerges. Impressions, as David Hume would call them, seemingly precede our ideas. Sense-data, as Shozo Ohmori phrased it, is unquestionably inseparable from

This is a commentary on ‘The Principle of the New World Order’, a geopolitical essay written by Japanese Philosopher, Kitarō Nishida in 1944. This essay has been a source of postwar controversy over the philosophical justification of Japan’s involvement in the Second World War and the relationship between Japanese thoughts and Western colonial domination in Asia. As a text of Japanese formal geopolitics, the essay is a historical example to illustrate how Japanese academics geopolitically situated their country and themselves within the imperial rivalry during the War. The essay attracted not only criticisms that problematized Nishida’s approach to politics (imperialism and nationalism) and justification of the War, but also positive reviews that appreciated his proposal of a multicultural worldview countering Western modernity (i.e. the world dominated by the West). The translation of the essay is not easy to read but contains important insights into how to see the current world (dis)order under hegemonic powers., Este es un comentario sobre "El principio del nuevo orden mundial", un ensayo geopolítico escrito por el filósofo japonés Kitarō Nishida en 1944. Este ensayo ha sido en la posguerra una fuente de controversia sobre la justificación filosófica de la participación de Japón en la Segunda Guerra Mundial y la relación entre los pensamientos japoneses y la dominación colonial occidental en Asia. Como texto de geopolítica formal japonesa, el ensayo es un ejemplo histórico para ilustrar cómo los académicos japoneses situaron geopolíticamente a su país y a sí mismos dentro de la rivalidad imperial durante la Guerra. El ensayo atrajo no solo críticas que problematizaban el enfoque de Nishida sobre la política (imperialismo y nacionalismo) y la justificación de la guerra, sino también comentarios positivos que apreciaban su propuesta de una visión del mundo multicultural que contrarrestara la modernidad occidental (es decir, el mundo dominado por Occidente). La traducción del ensayo no es fácil de leer, pero contiene ideas importantes sobre cómo ver el (des)orden mundial actual bajo los poderes hegemónicos., Este é um comentário sobre "O começo da nova ordem mundial", um ensaio geopolítico escrito pelo filósofo japonês Kitarō Nishida em 1944. Este ensaio tem sido uma fonte de controvérsia na controvérsia do pós-guerra sobre a justificativa filosófica da participação do Japão na Segunda Guerra Mundial e a relação entre os pensamentos japoneses e o domínio colonial ocidental na Ásia. Como um texto da geopolítica japonesa formal, o ensaio é um exemplo histórico para ilustrar como os estudiosos japoneses colocaram geopoliticamente seu país e a si mesmos na rivalidade imperial durante a Guerra. O ensaio atraiu não apenas críticas que problematizavam a abordagem de Nishida à política (imperialismo e nacionalismo) e a justificativa da guerra, mas também comentários positivos que apreciavam sua proposta de uma visão do mundo multicultural que contrariava a modernidade ocidental (ou seja, o mundo dominado pelo Ocidente). A tradução do ensaio não é fácil de ler, mas contém idéias importantes sobre como ver a (des)ordem mundial atual sob os poderes hegemônicos.

The First World War created no other principles for world formation than an abstract notion of national self-determination. Such an abstract notion could not solve the historical challenges the world faced, of which the outbreak of the Second World War provided evidence. Each state/nation must realize its world-historical mission to construct the world-historical world in which states/nations would be united to form ‘a global world (sekai-teki sekai)’ while maintaining their own historical uniqueness. For such historically unique entities to be united into the whole without losing their uniqueness, it would be necessary an intermediate process of forming ‘a particular world (tokushu- teki sekai)’. In this process, each state/nation transcends itself, connects to neighboring states/nations, and follows its own regional (supra-national) tradition at the same time, leading to the establishment of non-Western worlds. East Asian nations must realize their world-historical mission and construct a particular world based on the idea of East Asian culture. There must be a central player to tackle such challenges and no country but Japan would be in the position to play such a role., La Primera Guerra Mundial no creó otros principios para la formación mundial que una noción abstracta de autodeterminación nacional. Una noción tan abstracta no podría resolver los desafíos históricos que enfrentó el mundo, lo que quedó demostrado por el estallido de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Cada Estado-y-nación debe realizar su misión histórica mundial para construir el mundo histórico-mundial en el que los Estados-y-nación se unirían para formar "un mundo global” (sekai-teki sekai) mientras mantienen su propia singularidad histórica. Para que esas entidades históricamente únicas se unan en el todo sin perder su singularidad, sería necesario un proceso intermedio de formación de "un mundo particular” (tokushu-teki sekai). En este proceso, cada Estado-y-nación se trasciende a sí mismo, se conecta con los Estados-y-nación vecinos, y sigue su propia tradición regional (supranacional) al mismo tiempo, lo que lleva al establecimiento de mundos no occidentales. Las naciones del Este asiático deben realizar su misión histórico-mundial y construir un mundo particular basado en la idea de la cultura del Este asiático. Debe haber un jugador central para enfrentar tales desafíos y no habría otro país que Japón para desempeñar ese papel., A Primeira Guerra Mundial não criou outros princípios para a formação mundial além de uma noção abstrata de autodeterminação nacional. Tal noção abstrata não poderia resolver os desafios históricos que o mundo enfrentava, o que foi demonstrado pelo início da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Cada estado-e-nação deve cumprir sua missão histórica mundial para construir o mundo histórico mundial no qual os estados-e-nação se uniriam para formar "um mundo global" (sekai-teki sekai), mantendo sua própria singularidade histórica. Para que essas entidades historicamente únicas se unam no todo sem perder sua singularidade, seria necessário um processo intermediário de formação de "um mundo particular" (tokushu-teki sekai). Nesse processo, cada estado-e-nação se transcende, se conecta com os estados-e-nação vizinhos e segue sua própria tradição regional (supranacional) ao mesmo tempo, levando ao estabelecimento de mundos não ocidentais. Os países do leste asiático devem cumprir sua missão no mundo histórico e construir um mundo particular, com base na idéia da cultura do leste asiático. Deve haver um ator central para enfrentar esses desafios e não haveria outro país além do Japão para desempenhar esse papel.

This research project aims to identify and describe those qualities that contribute to an architectural response to nature’s phenomena, such as time (constant change) and space (Ma **), our spatial conception and experience, and our relationship with nature (En *). Often these qualities are present in the form of architectural elements and methods, composition of elements. Possibly this research develops tools based on Japanese philosophical and architectural principles and notions in which emptiness and ephemerality play a key role., Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Explorelab

In this reflection paper, I have drawn on the Imamichian notion of the skilled animal in order to better understand gamification, the use of game elements in non-game context (Imamichi 2009, Deterding et al 2011). I distinguish between meaningful and meaningless gamification. While meaningless gamification, often used for marketing purposes, does not require long-term behavioural change, meaningful gamification aims to intrinsically motivate the user to carry out real-life activities related to for example fitness, sustainability and education (Nicholson 2015, Fors and Lennerfors forthcoming, Fors and Laaksoharju forthcoming). The skilled animal, according to Imamichi (2009), is a human being in the technology-mediated environment of modern societies that do not understand or question the inner workings of technological artefacts. By using this theoretical backdrop to gamification, it can be concluded that meaningful gamification is inherently different from meaningless gamification in a number of aspects, which in turn has practical implications for the development of gamified applications. First of all, I suggest that in order to develop gamification for meaningless purposes, the user of the gamified application will not have to move beyond the skilled animal approach to technology as the only purpose of these applications is to teach the skilled animal a few more tricks. However, in order to develop gamification for meaningful purposes, the application must be designed to let the user surpass the skilled animal phase in order to find intrinsic motivation for the gamified task.

The first aim of this project is to explore the jōri system of the Japanese scholar, Miura Baien (1723-1789) and to understand it better. Baien himself wished to explore the universe and to understand the universe better. As work on this essay progressed, two features of Baien's project became its focus: Baien is a "realist" in the sense that for him, the vast intricacies of heaven and earth are already there before us. They are there for all to discover, regardless of what anyone has said or thought. Baien found that in order to comprehend anything of the complexity of the manifold before his eyes, he needed to design a technical language, ruled by what he discovered there. A study of these features in the development of Baien's system gives rise to the interesting hypothesis that two theses, which at first glance we often take to be incompatible, might be profitably combined: i The distinction between the real and the merely conceptual is clear-cut, already determined and beyond our power to alter. ii The distinction between the real and the merely conceptual depends on language. Because Baien's interest in language as a study is confined to what we should nowadays see as a very narrow segment of the field of linguistic phenomena, the hypothesis that these two theses are compatible is not one he would have put forward. But the use to which he puts language in our broader sense of "language" is strong evidence for that compatibility. In a late chapter of this thesis I have put forward the hypothesis that the distinction between the real and the merely conceptual is both out of our hands, and dependent on language. From this I have drawn the further consequence that reality is not constrained by, nor reducible to, a single set of criteria that distinguishes it from the merely conceptual. These different sets of criteria are not governed by some master principle behind the distinction. There are "plural realities". Baien's system, too, points this way. His terminolog

Cette étude consiste en une introduction en neuf étapes à la pensée du philosophe japonais Nishida Kitarô (1870-1945). Le néant nous livre des traces diffuses, que nous aimierions bien effacer à la lumière de l’être. Cependant, une fois appréhendé logiquement et approché phénoménologiquement, le néant révèle une structuration topologique remarquable, qui met en question les problématiques de la métaphysique et de la morale, en particulier concernant la distinction entre l’espace et le lieu, le vide et le plein et les rapports de l’un et du multiple., This essay is a nine steps introduction to the Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro’s thought (1870-1945). Nothingness shows us some diffuse traces we would like to clear out with the light of being. However, once logically apprehended and phenomenologically approached, nothingness reveals a remarkable topological structure, which puts into question the problems of metaphysics and moral, in particular concerning the distinction between space and place, fullness and void and the relation of the one and the many.