Breaking barriers in intercultural philosophy: the power of empathy and interrelationship

Abstract

An important issue in intercultural philosophy concerns the methods employed to investigate thinking that has been developed in different cultural contexts. In a globalized world, it is increasingly necessary to incorporate diverse traditions of thought that are derived from distinct cultural, historical and linguistic backgrounds into academic philosophical work. However, the question remains: how can one learn from other philosophical traditions without falling into a dualistic or relativistic perspective? To address this, I analyze two concepts developed by Nishitani Keiji (1900-1990) in Religion and Nothingness, as well as his interpretation of “learning” (jap. narau 習う) and empathy as a tool for genuine mutual understanding. Additionally, I explore the concept of reciprocal interpenetration (jap. egoteki sōnyū 回互的相入), as a means to reassess intercultural philosophical methods. Thus, by applying the concepts presented by Nishitani in the intercultural aspect of philosophy, I believe we can avoid the problem of dualism and relativism, which ultimately hinder the approach and comprehension of philosophy in a pluralistic and inclusive way.