Philosophy of Science and The Kyoto School

An introduction to 20th-century Japanese philosophy that uses the two founding members of the Kyoto School and their impact on the philosophy of science to explain central ideas.

This book offers the first introduction to a major Japanese philosophical movement through the interests and arguments of its founder, Nishida Kitaro (1870-1945), his successor, Tanabe Hajime (1885-1962), and student-turned-critic, Tosaka Jun (1900-1945). Focusing on their contributions to thinking about place, space, and dialectics, this concise introduction brings these influential thinkers to life by connecting their work to issues still debated in the philosophy of science and physics today.

Beginning with an overview of the reception of quantum physics and relativity theory in Japan and concluding with an account of the direct relevance of the Kyoto School to the development of world philosophy in a posthuman age, each clearly-written chapter engages historical contexts and includes:

· Carefully-chosen excerpts and original translations of Nishida, Tanabe, and Tosaka
· Focus boxes explaining complex concepts and problems of contextualization
· A timeline, glossary and index
· Further reading lists featuring relevant and significant articles and books in English

This introduction is an ideal starting point for students and lecturers looking to become better acquainted with three central Japanese philosophers and learn why their work impacts our current thinking about science.