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Introduction: Japanese Philosophy and Ethics of Technology

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Tetsugaku Companion to Japanese Ethics and Technology

Part of the book series: Tetsugaku Companions to Japanese Philosophy ((TCJP,volume 1))

  • The original version of this chapter was revised: MS Mincho font was updated throughout the book for Japanese and Chinese characters. The correction to this book is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59027-1_13

Abstract

It is now widely accepted that technology is not value-free and that there is a need for a continuous discussion about the ethical impacts of technology. Although there are exceptions, scholars who discuss the ethics of technology often draw on Western philosophy, such as utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics. In contrast, this introduction suggest that we should explore the possibilities of Japanese ethics for scrutinising the impact of technology. In the chapter, we briefly outline how philosophers such as Nishida, Watsuji, Miki, Tosaka, Nishitani, Shimomura, Imamichi, and Sakamoto viewed the relationship between ethics and technology. In the end of the chapter, the chapters in the book are summarized.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This book adopts the Hepburn system (Hebon-shiki rōmaji) for the romanisation of Japanese, and hanyu pinyin for the romanisation of Chinese. The names of Japanese and Chinese people including the contributors to this book are written putting their surnames first.

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LENNERFORS, T.T., MURATA, K. (2019). Introduction: Japanese Philosophy and Ethics of Technology. In: LENNERFORS, T., MURATA, K. (eds) Tetsugaku Companion to Japanese Ethics and Technology. Tetsugaku Companions to Japanese Philosophy, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59027-1_1

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