Kuki Shuzo
Encyclopedia
was a prominent Japanese
academic, philosopher and university professor.
(九鬼 隆一) a high bureaucrat in the Meiji
Ministry for Culture and Education (Monbushō). Since it appears that Shūzō's mother, Hatsu, was already pregnant when she fell in love with Okakura Kakuzō
(岡倉 覚三), otherwise known as Okakura Tenshin (岡倉 天心), a protégé of her husband's (a notable patron of the arts), the rumour that Okakura was Kuki's father would appear to be groundless. It is true, however, that Shūzō as a child, after his mother had separated and then divorced his father, thought of Okakura, who often visited, as his real father, and later certainly hailed him as his spiritual father. From Okakura, he gained much of his fascination for aesthetics
and perhaps foreign languages, as indeed his fascination with the peculiar cultural codes of the pleasure quarters of Japan owes something to the fact that his mother had once been a geisha
.
At age 23 in 1911 (Meiji 44), Shūzō converted to Catholicism
; and he was baptized in Tokyo as Franciscus Assisiensis Kuki Shūzō. The idealism and introspection implied by this decision were early evidence of issues which would have resonance in the characteristic mindset of the mature man.
A graduate in philosophy of Tokyo Imperial University
, Shūzō spent eight years in Europe to polish his knowledge of languages and deepen his already significant studies of contemporary Western thought. At the University of Heidelberg, he studied under the neo-Kantian Heinrich Rickert
, and he engaged Eugen Herrigel
as a tutor. At the University of Paris
, he was impressed by the work of Henri Bergson
, whom he got to know personally; and he engaged the young Jean-Paul Sartre
as a French tutor. It is little known outside Japan that Kuki influenced in Jean-Paul Sartre
to develop his an interest in Heidegger's philosophy.
At the University of Freiburg
, Shūzō studied phenomenology under Edmund Husserl
; and he first met Martin Heidegger
in Husserl's home. He moved to the University of Marburg for Heidegger's lectures on phenomenological interpretation of Kant, and for Heidegger's seminar "Schelling's Essay on the Essence of Human Freedom." Fellow students during these years in Europe were Watsuji Tetsurō and Miki Kiyoshi
.
’, a variety of chic culture current among the fashionable set in Edo
in the Tokugawa period, and asserted that it constituted one of the essential values of Japanese culture.
Shūzō took up a teaching post at Kyoto University
, then a prominent center for conservative cultural values and thinking. His early lectures focused on Descartes and Bergson. In the context of a faculty with a primarily Germanic philiosophical background, his lectures offered a someone different perspective based on the work of French philosophers.
He became an Associate Professor in 1933 (Shōwa 8); and in that same year, he published the first book length study of Martin Heidegger
to appear in Japanese. In this context, it is noteworthy that the German philosopher explicitly referenced a conversation "between a Japanese and an inquirer" in On the Way to Language (Aus einem Gespräch von der Sprache). Also, Heidegger expressed a desire to have written the preface to the German translation of The Structure of "Iki"
At the University of Kyoto, Shūzō was elevated to Professor of Philosophy in March 1934 (Shōwa 10). The next year, he published The Problem of Contingency, also known as The Problem of the Accidental. This work was developed from his personal experiences in Europe and the influences of Heidegger. As a single Japanese man within an encompassing "white" or non-Japanese society, he considered the extent to which he became a being who lacked necessity. His Kyoto University lectures on Heidegger, Man and Existence, were published in 1939.
From the mid-thirties, while Japan drifted towards totalitarianism and the war in China dragged on, Shūzō seemed not to be much disturbed by the growth of fascism.
In 1941, Shūzō died prematurely from consequences following an attack of peritonitis.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
academic, philosopher and university professor.
Early life
Shūzō was the fourth child of Baron Kuki RyūichiKuki Ryuichi
was a samurai of provincial origin who is best known as the father of the Japanese philosopher Kuki Shūzō .In the early years of the Meiji period, after studying under Fukuzawa Yukichi , he took a post in the Japanese Ministry of Education, specializing in cultural policy. In 1884 he was...
(九鬼 隆一) a high bureaucrat in the Meiji
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
Ministry for Culture and Education (Monbushō). Since it appears that Shūzō's mother, Hatsu, was already pregnant when she fell in love with Okakura Kakuzō
Okakura Kakuzo
was a Japanese scholar who contributed to the development of arts in Japan. Outside of Japan, he is chiefly remembered today as the author of The Book of Tea.-Biography:...
(岡倉 覚三), otherwise known as Okakura Tenshin (岡倉 天心), a protégé of her husband's (a notable patron of the arts), the rumour that Okakura was Kuki's father would appear to be groundless. It is true, however, that Shūzō as a child, after his mother had separated and then divorced his father, thought of Okakura, who often visited, as his real father, and later certainly hailed him as his spiritual father. From Okakura, he gained much of his fascination for aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
and perhaps foreign languages, as indeed his fascination with the peculiar cultural codes of the pleasure quarters of Japan owes something to the fact that his mother had once been a geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
.
At age 23 in 1911 (Meiji 44), Shūzō converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
; and he was baptized in Tokyo as Franciscus Assisiensis Kuki Shūzō. The idealism and introspection implied by this decision were early evidence of issues which would have resonance in the characteristic mindset of the mature man.
A graduate in philosophy of Tokyo Imperial University
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
, Shūzō spent eight years in Europe to polish his knowledge of languages and deepen his already significant studies of contemporary Western thought. At the University of Heidelberg, he studied under the neo-Kantian Heinrich Rickert
Heinrich Rickert
Heinrich John Rickert was a German philosopher, one of the leading Neo-Kantians.-Life:He was born in Danzig, Prussia and died in Heidelberg, Germany.-Thought:...
, and he engaged Eugen Herrigel
Eugen Herrigel
Eugen Herrigel was a German philosopher who taught philosophy at Tohoku Imperial University in Sendai, Japan, from 1924-1929 and introduced Zen to large parts of Europe through his writings.While living in Japan from 1924 to 1929, he studied kyūdō, traditional Japanese archery, under Awa...
as a tutor. At the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, he was impressed by the work of Henri Bergson
Henri Bergson
Henri-Louis Bergson was a major French philosopher, influential especially in the first half of the 20th century. Bergson convinced many thinkers that immediate experience and intuition are more significant than rationalism and science for understanding reality.He was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize...
, whom he got to know personally; and he engaged the young Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
as a French tutor. It is little known outside Japan that Kuki influenced in Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
to develop his an interest in Heidegger's philosophy.
At the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
, Shūzō studied phenomenology under Edmund Husserl
Edmund Husserl
Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl was a philosopher and mathematician and the founder of the 20th century philosophical school of phenomenology. He broke with the positivist orientation of the science and philosophy of his day, yet he elaborated critiques of historicism and of psychologism in logic...
; and he first met Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
in Husserl's home. He moved to the University of Marburg for Heidegger's lectures on phenomenological interpretation of Kant, and for Heidegger's seminar "Schelling's Essay on the Essence of Human Freedom." Fellow students during these years in Europe were Watsuji Tetsurō and Miki Kiyoshi
Miki Kiyoshi
was a Japanese philosopher.- Biography :Miki was a native of what is now part of Tatsuno, Hyōgo. He studied philosophy under Nishida Kitarō and Tanabe Hajime at the Kyoto Imperial university. Later he went to Germany, to study the work of Martin Heidegger, Blaise Pascal, Søren Kierkegaard and...
.
Career
Shortly after Shūzō's return to Japan, he wrote and published his masterpiece, The Structure of "Iki" (1930). In this work he undertakes to make a phenomenological analysis of ‘ikiIki (aesthetic ideal)
Iki is a traditional aesthetic ideal of human behavior or volition in Japan, roughly "chic, stylish". The basis of iki is thought to have formed among urbane commoners in Edo in the Tokugawa period...
’, a variety of chic culture current among the fashionable set in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
in the Tokugawa period, and asserted that it constituted one of the essential values of Japanese culture.
Shūzō took up a teaching post at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
, then a prominent center for conservative cultural values and thinking. His early lectures focused on Descartes and Bergson. In the context of a faculty with a primarily Germanic philiosophical background, his lectures offered a someone different perspective based on the work of French philosophers.
He became an Associate Professor in 1933 (Shōwa 8); and in that same year, he published the first book length study of Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
to appear in Japanese. In this context, it is noteworthy that the German philosopher explicitly referenced a conversation "between a Japanese and an inquirer" in On the Way to Language (Aus einem Gespräch von der Sprache). Also, Heidegger expressed a desire to have written the preface to the German translation of The Structure of "Iki"
At the University of Kyoto, Shūzō was elevated to Professor of Philosophy in March 1934 (Shōwa 10). The next year, he published The Problem of Contingency, also known as The Problem of the Accidental. This work was developed from his personal experiences in Europe and the influences of Heidegger. As a single Japanese man within an encompassing "white" or non-Japanese society, he considered the extent to which he became a being who lacked necessity. His Kyoto University lectures on Heidegger, Man and Existence, were published in 1939.
From the mid-thirties, while Japan drifted towards totalitarianism and the war in China dragged on, Shūzō seemed not to be much disturbed by the growth of fascism.
In 1941, Shūzō died prematurely from consequences following an attack of peritonitis.
Major works
- 1930
- 1933
- 1935
- 1939
- 1941
External links
- 九鬼 周造 (Kuki Shūzō) at www.aozora.gr.jp
- 九鬼周造 (Kuki Shūzō) at www.isis.ne.jp