Abstract
In this Chapter, I clarify the historical background and characteristics of Nishida’s theory of pure experience, as seen in his maiden work, An Inquiry into the Good (1911). The analyses compare and contrast Nishida’s views with Wundtian psychology. The chapter examines the core idea of An Inquiry, “pure experience, “ which involves the relation between psychology and philosophy, subject-object unity, criticism of psychology, and the relation between language and experience. Both, Nishida and Wundt asserted the primacy of experience and the reality of metaphysically impartial phenomena of consciousness. However, Nishida is critical of Wundtian psychologists because he places an even greater emphasis on the primacy of metaphysically impartial experience. According to Nishida, experience is an originally unified system, wherein distinct experiences attain meaning through their relations in increasingly greater systems of consciousness.
Translated from Japanese into English by Miikael-Aadam Lotman.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
We abbreviate An Inquiry into the Good hereafter simply as “Inquiry”.
Nishida’s writings in Nishida Kitarō Zenshu [Complete works of Nishida Kitarō] are cited as NKZa, followed by volume and page numbers. NKZa = Nishida Kitarō. Nishida Kitarō Zenshu [Complete works of Nishida Kitarō]. 19 vols. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, second ed. (1965–1966).
- 2.
The last chapter of the fourth part “Knowledge and love” was published already in July 1907 as an article with the identical title in the journal Seishin-kai.
- 3.
The Ishikawa Nishida Kitarō Museum of Philosophy exhibits Nishida’s graduation certificate of the courses he finished in the Imperial University of Tokyo. The document shows that Nishida completed an elective course in psychology as evidenced by Motora’s signature.
- 4.
W. Wundt defined psychology in his Grundriss der Psychologie (1896) with the term “immediate experience”.
References
Fujita, M. (2012). Kaisetsu [Commentary]. In Zen no Kenkyū (323-372). Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten.
Kihira, Tadayoshi. (1907). Jitsuzai no mondai [The problem of reality]. Tetsugaku Zasshi vol. 22: 438-440.
Motora, Yujiro. Rinrigaku [Ethics]. (1900). Tokyo: Fuzanbo.
Mutai, Risaku. Shinrigaku Kōgi ni tsuite [On psychology lectures]. 1966. In NKZa 16 (672-677).
Nishida Kitarō: Zen no Kenkyū [An Inquiry into the Good]. (1911) (NKZa 1: 1-200).
Nishida Kitarō: Gendai ni okeru Risō-shugi no Tetsugaku [Philosophy of Idealism in the Modern Period]. (1917). In NKZa 14(1-82).
Nishida Kitarō: Ishiki no Mondai [Problem of Consciousness]. (1920) (NKZa 3: 1-236).
English edition: Nishida Kitarō. An Inquiry into the Good (translated by Abe, M. and Ives, C.). New Haven and London, 1990, Yale University Press.
Nishitani, Keiji. (1985). Nishida Kitarō: hito to shisō [Nishida Kitarō: person and thought]. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo.
Shimomura, Torataro. (1977). Nishida Kitarō: hito to shisō [Nishida Kitarō: his person and thought]. Tokyo: Tokai-daigaku Shuppankai.
Wundt, W. (1896). Grundriss der Psychologie [Outlines of Psychology]. Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nakajima, Y. (2022). Pure Experience. In: Matsumaru, H., Arisaka, Y., Schultz, L.C. (eds) Tetsugaku Companion to Nishida Kitarō. Tetsugaku Companions to Japanese Philosophy, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41784-4_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41784-4_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-41783-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-41784-4
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)