"Eternal now" and lived experience - Aesthetics and theory of time in Kitaro Nishida's philosophy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00001
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01010:Philosophy and ethics-related
• Research Institution: Nanzan University (2022-2023); Tohoku University (2019-2021)
• Principal Investigator: FONGARO ENRICO 南山大学, 南山宗教文化研究所, 教授 (90457119)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 日本哲学 / 美学 / 時間論 / 西田幾多郎 / 存在論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the past works on Nishida's aesthetics, a topic almost neglected in research on Nishida, I addressed aesthetics in relation to a theory of time and at the same time published translations related to the same topic. In doing so, I had the following three goals in mind. (1) To discuss the changes in Nishida's philosophy of art in relation to his theory of time. (2) To connect Nishida's theory of art and his theory of time, particularly with regard to the meaning of “eternity” in the concept of “eternal now” seen in Nishida's later years, and to compare and discuss it from the perspective of Western aesthetics and philosophy, with special attention to Gilles Deleuze. (3) To publish Italian translations and commentaries of Kitaro Nishida's works that are essential to the previous two points, and to disseminate the results of the research in Italy and other European countries.

Free Research Field

哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、西田幾多郎全集イタリア語版のうち3冊（第2巻, 第6巻および『私の立場から見たヘーゲルの弁証法』）の出版、および論文の出版につながり、それをもとにコロナ禍を契機として国際的なオンライン研究ネットワークづくりを行ない、活発に研究集会を開催することができた。本研究は、間違いなく異文化間コミュニケーションを促進するものである。研究集会への参加者、あるいは論文や西田の翻訳（イタリア語版）の読者は、古典的なヨーロッパ思想とは異なる思想に触れ、多様性や他者性を理解し、異なる哲学や宗教との相互理解や出会いに積極的に貢献する可能性を見い出すことができたと考えられる。