Comprehensive Research on Philosophy and Representation of Catastrophe(Fostering Joint International Research)

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15KK0052
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: History of thought
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: NISHIYAMA YUJI 首都大学東京, 人文科学研究科, 教授 (30466817)
• Project Period (FY): 2016 – 2019
• Keywords: カタストロフィ / リスク / 災厄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

My research achievements consist to analyze the concept, interpretation, representation of catastrophe. I traced the history of the documents on catastrophe (especially in philosophy and literature) from the 18th century to the present. In order to explore the problem of catastrophe, I stayed for a year as a visiting professor at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations in Paris and tried to collaborate more effectively with scholars or researchers in organizing seminars and symposiums in Europe. The research results were released in Japanese, French or English in many publications, at academic meetings.

Free Research Field

人文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

カタストロフィ（破局）は、人間、自然、文明、歴史、進歩といった概念や現実の根本的な再考を促す歴史的契機である。自然科学や社会科学の実践的な知とは異なり、人文学によるカタストロフィへの理論的アプローチの特性は、カタストロフィにまつわる概念や言葉、修辞の分析を通じてその諸相を描き出せること、想像や虚構のイメージを介して現実を迂回して考察しうること、生と死の狭間で宗教的な問いを論究しうることである。本研究では、フランスを拠点として、国内外の人文学研究者らと国際的な共同研究を形成することができた。