Kierkegaard and Japanese Thought

The Danish Philosopher Kierkegaard (1813-1855) is an enigmatic thinker whose works call out for interpretation. One of the most fascinating strands of this interpretation is in terms of Japanese thought. Kierkegaard himself knew nothing of Japanese philosophy, yet the links between his own ideas and Japanese philosophers are remarkable. These links were spotted quickly by Japanese thinkers and Japanese translations of Kierkegaard appeared long before English translations did. Yet, strangely enough, the Japanese relation to Kierkegaard has been all but ignored in the West. This book seeks to remedy this by bringing the Japanese interpretation to the West. Here, both Japanese and Western scholars examine the numerous links between Kierkegaard and Japanese thought while presenting Kierkegaard in terms of Shinto, Pure Land Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, the Samurai, the famous Kyoto school of Japanese philosophers, and in terms of pivotal Japanese thinkers who were influenced by Kierkegaard.

ISBN 0230552838   Pages 264 ISBN13 9780230552838 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Palgrave Macmillan   Weight (grammes) 449 Imprint Palgrave Macmillan   Published in Basingstoke Format Hardback   Height (mm) 220 Publication date 30 Apr 2008   Width (mm) 143 Library of Congress 2007051188   Spine width (mm) 20 DEWEY 198.9   Academic level Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

1		Introduction: Kierkegaard among the Temples of Kamakura by James Giles
2		A Short History of Kierkegaard's Reception in Japan by Kinya Masugata
3		Japanese Pure Land Buddhism and Kierkegaard by Hidetomo Yamashita
4		A Zen Understanding of Kierkegaard's Existential Thought by Eshin Nishimura
5		To Practise One Thing : Kierkegaard through the Eyes of Dogen by James Giles
6		Aeterno Modo: the Expression of an Integral Consciousness in the Work of Kierkegaard and Dogen by Ian Mills
7		Truth, Paradox, and Silence: Hakuin and Kierkegaard by Archie Graham
8		Living with Death: Kierkegaard and the Samurai by Adam Buben
9		Kierkegaard and Nishida: Ways to the Non-Substantial by Eiko Hanaoka
10		The Religious Thought of Nishida and Kierkegaard by Shudo Tsukiyama
11		Kobayashi's Spirit of Unselfishness and Kierkegaard's Faith by Makoto Mizuta
12		Mori and Kierkegaard : Experience and Existence by Mime Morita
13		Otani: a Kierkegaardian Fellow of the Dead by Kinya Masugata
		Index

"The affinities between Kierkegaard's thought and elements in Japanese religion, philosophy, and culture have long been noted. Until now, however, the relationship has rarely been subjected to sustained scrutiny -at least, not in Western literature. This collection therefore makes a unique and truly important contribution to a discussion that will enrich both Kierkegaard studies and the wider cause of dialogue between Japanese and Western philosophy. Controversially rejecting the claim that Kierkegaard needs to be assessed against his own theistic background, James Giles introduces a range of contributions that reflect Zen, Pure Land, and Shinto views of life, and that engage both classic Japanese figures such as Dogen as well as modern writers and thinkers such as Kobayashi and Hisamatsu. This stimulating and thought-provoking collection will surely come to provide a point of departure for all future studies in this area." George Pattison, University of Oxford, UK, author of The Philosophy of Kierkegaard "This work concentrates on unexpected connections between Kierkegaard's philosophical writings and Japanese thought with respect to such fundamental themes of human existence as the nature of freedom, self-deception, love, compassion, death and dying, the individual and society. It is a worthy undertaking in comparative philosophy carefully crafted by its editor James Giles. It should deepen our understanding of an extraordinary Western religious-philosophical figure and various strains, primarily Buddhist, of a major East Asian tradition." Eliot Deutsch, University of Hawaii, author of Persons and Valuable Worlds: A Global Philosophy

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