Kierkegaard and Japanese Thought - by J Giles (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Kierkegaard knew nothing of Japanese philosophy yet the links between his own ideas and Japanese philosophers are remarkable. The book examines 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.

Review Quotes

"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 Shint? views of life, and that engage both classic Japanese figures such as D?gen 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

About the Author

ADAM BUBEN Presidential Doctoral Fellow in the philosophy department, University of South Florida, USA ARCHIE GRAHAM Postdoctoral Researcher EIKO HANAOKA Professor Emeritus, Osaka Prefecture University, Japan MAKOTO MIZUTA Former Professor of Philosophy and Medical Ethics, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan KINYA MASUGATA President of the Kierkegaard Society of Japan, Professor, Mukogawa Women's University, Japan IAN MILLS Independent scholar MIME MORITA Associate Professor of Philosophy, Ethics and Women's Studies, Osaka Christian College, Japan ESHIN NISHIMURA Professor Emeritus, Hanazono University, Japan SHUDO TSUKIYAMA Professor of Intercultural Studies, University of Otani, Japan