The Art of Aidagara: Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Quest for an Ontology of Social Existence in Watsuji Tetsurō’s Rinrigaku

James Shields

The Art of Aidagara: Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Quest for an Ontology of Social Existence in Watsuji Tetsurō’s Rinrigaku

James Shields

Bucknell University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

<p> This paper provides an analysis of the key term aidagara (“betweenness”) in the philosophical ethics of Watsuji Tetsur&omacr; (1889-1960), in response to and in light of the recent movement in Japanese Buddhist studies known as “Critical Buddhism.” The Critical Buddhist call for a turn away from “topical” or intuitionist thinking and towards (properly Buddhist) “critical” thinking, while problematic in its bipolarity, raises the important issue of the place of “reason” versus “intuition” in Japanese Buddhist ethics. In this paper, a comparison of Watsuji’s “ontological quest” with that of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Watsuji’s primary Western source and foil, is followed by an evaluation of a corresponding search for an “ontology of social existence” undertaken by Tanabe Hajime (1885-1962). Ultimately, the philosophico-religious writings of Watsuji Tetsur&omacr; allow for the “return” of aesthesis as a modality of social being that is truly dimensionalized, and thus falls prey neither to the verticality of topicalism nor the limiting objectivity of criticalism.</p>

Original language	American English
Journal	Default journal
Volume	19
State	Published - Nov 1 2009

Keywords

aidagara
zange
betweenness
Martin Heidgegger
Watsuji Tetsurō
Tanabe Hajime
critical Buddhism

Disciplines

Aesthetics
Continental Philosophy
East Asian Languages and Societies
Ethics and Political Philosophy
Ethics in Religion
History of Philosophy
History of Religions of Eastern Origins
Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

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The Art of Aidagara Ethics Aesthetics and the Quest for an OntFinal published version, 192 KBLicense: CC BY

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title = "The Art of Aidagara: Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Quest for an Ontology of Social Existence in Watsuji Tetsurō{\textquoteright}s Rinrigaku",

abstract = " This paper provides an analysis of the key term aidagara (\“betweenness\”) in the philosophical ethics of Watsuji Tetsur\&omacr; (1889-1960), in response to and in light of the recent movement in Japanese Buddhist studies known as \“Critical Buddhism.\” The Critical Buddhist call for a turn away from \“topical\” or intuitionist thinking and towards (properly Buddhist) \“critical\” thinking, while problematic in its bipolarity, raises the important issue of the place of \“reason\” versus \“intuition\” in Japanese Buddhist ethics. In this paper, a comparison of Watsuji\’s \“ontological quest\” with that of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Watsuji\’s primary Western source and foil, is followed by an evaluation of a corresponding search for an \“ontology of social existence\” undertaken by Tanabe Hajime (1885-1962). Ultimately, the philosophico-religious writings of Watsuji Tetsur\&omacr; allow for the \“return\” of aesthesis as a modality of social being that is truly dimensionalized, and thus falls prey neither to the verticality of topicalism nor the limiting objectivity of criticalism.",

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N2 - This paper provides an analysis of the key term aidagara (“betweenness”) in the philosophical ethics of Watsuji Tetsur&omacr; (1889-1960), in response to and in light of the recent movement in Japanese Buddhist studies known as “Critical Buddhism.” The Critical Buddhist call for a turn away from “topical” or intuitionist thinking and towards (properly Buddhist) “critical” thinking, while problematic in its bipolarity, raises the important issue of the place of “reason” versus “intuition” in Japanese Buddhist ethics. In this paper, a comparison of Watsuji’s “ontological quest” with that of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Watsuji’s primary Western source and foil, is followed by an evaluation of a corresponding search for an “ontology of social existence” undertaken by Tanabe Hajime (1885-1962). Ultimately, the philosophico-religious writings of Watsuji Tetsur&omacr; allow for the “return” of aesthesis as a modality of social being that is truly dimensionalized, and thus falls prey neither to the verticality of topicalism nor the limiting objectivity of criticalism.

AB - This paper provides an analysis of the key term aidagara (“betweenness”) in the philosophical ethics of Watsuji Tetsur&omacr; (1889-1960), in response to and in light of the recent movement in Japanese Buddhist studies known as “Critical Buddhism.” The Critical Buddhist call for a turn away from “topical” or intuitionist thinking and towards (properly Buddhist) “critical” thinking, while problematic in its bipolarity, raises the important issue of the place of “reason” versus “intuition” in Japanese Buddhist ethics. In this paper, a comparison of Watsuji’s “ontological quest” with that of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Watsuji’s primary Western source and foil, is followed by an evaluation of a corresponding search for an “ontology of social existence” undertaken by Tanabe Hajime (1885-1962). Ultimately, the philosophico-religious writings of Watsuji Tetsur&omacr; allow for the “return” of aesthesis as a modality of social being that is truly dimensionalized, and thus falls prey neither to the verticality of topicalism nor the limiting objectivity of criticalism.

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KW - zange

KW - betweenness

KW - Martin Heidgegger

KW - Watsuji Tetsurō

KW - Tanabe Hajime

KW - critical Buddhism

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JF - Default journal

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The Art of Aidagara: Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Quest for an Ontology of Social Existence in Watsuji Tetsurō’s Rinrigaku

Abstract

Keywords

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