“Eastern Philosophy” — Does Japan Belong There Too?: Chapter 1

Why Do We Say “Eastern Philosophy”?

～What Are We Making Invisible?～

＊This series is planned to be completed in 6 chapters.

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Hello everyone. This is Akira.

“Western philosophy” and “Eastern philosophy.”

These two words are used very naturally.

Western philosophy is analytical and values logic.

Eastern philosophy values connection and harmony.

It is often organized this way.

And within that “Eastern philosophy,” Japanese thought is also assumed to be included as a matter of course, isn’t it?

Shinto, Buddhism that grew in Japan, and even the modern Kyoto School — all of them are placed inside the box labeled “Eastern.”

I think many people feel that way.

But is that really so?

Does Japanese thought fit neatly into the same frame as Indian or Chinese thought?

A common way of organizing it goes like this:

The West tries to understand the world by breaking it down.

The East tries to understand it through connection and harmony.

This division is easy to understand and convenient.

That is why many people use it.

However, behind that convenience, I feel that the unique contours of Japanese thought are gradually becoming harder to see.

Indian thought, Chinese thought, and Japanese thought are all grouped together under the single word “Eastern.”

As a result, the question of “where does Japan stand?” becomes vague.

In this series, I will not try to erase that ambiguity in a hurry.

I simply want to pause for a moment and look at the fact that we use the words “Eastern philosophy” so naturally in our daily lives.

Why do we use them so naturally?

What does this word make easier to see, and what does it make harder to see?

I would like to think about this while staying close to the feeling of the heart.

In the next chapter, we will look a little more concretely at what is actually placed inside the large box called “Eastern philosophy.”

Please look forward to it!

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Akira

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