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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

189857

The Kyoto school and the theory of aesthetic human transformation

examining motomori Kimura's interpretation of Friedrich Schiller

Takuo Nishimura

pp. 65-76

Abstract

This paper introduces a typical theory of aesthetic human transformation of the Kyoto school of philosophy and considers its relevance for our current philosophy of education through examination of Motomori Kimura's interpretation of F. Schiller's Aesthetic Letters. As it is a text open to broad range of interpretations, how a thinker approaches Aesthetic Letters becomes a touchstone for revealing his estimation of "the aesthetic." Kimura's interpretation of Schiller is quite particular to the school that identifies the "purity" of 'schöne Seele" with "absolute nothingness' where everything is generated and which means receiving and absolutely affirming every "act" as it is generated there. We can reinterpret Kimura's definition of human nature, "expressive-formative existence" as self-awakening of "absolute nothingness," as showing us an alternative understanding of the human subject that embraces and transcends the subjectivity of the Western modern self, which postmodernism criticized.In the later chapters further consideration of the relevance of the Kyoto school for our current philosophy of education is presented, concerning especially about the conception of "practice," responding to Professor Standish's comments in a special panel at the INPE conference in Kyoto, 2008, where the contents of this paper were originally reported.

Publication details

Published in:

Standish Paul, Saito Naoko (2012) Education and the Kyoto school of philosophy: pedagogy for human transformation. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 65-76

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-4047-1_6

Full citation:

Nishimura Takuo (2012) „The Kyoto school and the theory of aesthetic human transformation: examining motomori Kimura's interpretation of Friedrich Schiller“, In: P. Standish & N. Saito (eds.), Education and the Kyoto school of philosophy, Dordrecht, Springer, 65–76.