Metanoetics
Encyclopedia
Metanoetics A neologism coined by Hajime Tanabe
in Philosophy as Metanoetics to denote a way of doing philosophy that understands the limits of reason and the power of radical evil
. Though the method used by Tanabe to reach this conclusion relies on the transcendental analysis developed by Kant
, Tanabe aligns the method with the Buddhist concept of Absolute Nothingness and the preaching of Pure Land Buddhism
, Zen
, and Christianity.
Tanabe states that Kant did not take the critique of reason far enough. By this Tanabe means that a radical critique of reason should question whether reason itself can understand its ability to embody self-awareness and ultimate reality. The individual exercising reason should remain aware of the crisis of reason and see the antinomy, those rationally unsolveable contradictions that reason unearths, as the basis for personal renewal.
The crisis of reason is not just a disruption of thought; it also involves a crisis of will. As the individual understands the radical limits of reason in facing the antinomies, they become aware of what Kant called radical evil
. This is the will to act according to desires beyond those presented by rational reflection. With this realization comes further crisis and thereby the possibility of metanoia.
In this state of crisis, the individual gains the perspective required to see another source of enlightenment. Tanabe uses the Shin Buddhist term of "Other-power" to denote this source, also called Absolute Nothingness. This metanoia realizes the inadequacy of human efforts to discover the source of self-awareness and surrenders to it. This surrender provides the power to continue the search for meaning within the midst of everyday life and to act in a compassionate and charitable way to bring others to self-realization.
Hajime Tanabe
was a Japanese philosopher of the Kyoto School. In 1947 he became a member of The Japan Academy, in 1950 he received the Order of Cultural Merit, and in 1957 an honorary doctorate from University of Freiburg....
in Philosophy as Metanoetics to denote a way of doing philosophy that understands the limits of reason and the power of radical evil
Radical evil
Radical evil A phrase coined by Kant in Religion within the Bounds of Reason Alone.There Kant writes:- Bibliography :Huang, Hshuan,...
. Though the method used by Tanabe to reach this conclusion relies on the transcendental analysis developed by Kant
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....
, Tanabe aligns the method with the Buddhist concept of Absolute Nothingness and the preaching of Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism , also referred to as Amidism in English, is a broad branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism and currently one of the most popular traditions of Buddhism in East Asia. Pure Land is a branch of Buddhism focused on Amitābha Buddha...
, Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
, and Christianity.
Tanabe states that Kant did not take the critique of reason far enough. By this Tanabe means that a radical critique of reason should question whether reason itself can understand its ability to embody self-awareness and ultimate reality. The individual exercising reason should remain aware of the crisis of reason and see the antinomy, those rationally unsolveable contradictions that reason unearths, as the basis for personal renewal.
The crisis of reason is not just a disruption of thought; it also involves a crisis of will. As the individual understands the radical limits of reason in facing the antinomies, they become aware of what Kant called radical evil
Radical evil
Radical evil A phrase coined by Kant in Religion within the Bounds of Reason Alone.There Kant writes:- Bibliography :Huang, Hshuan,...
. This is the will to act according to desires beyond those presented by rational reflection. With this realization comes further crisis and thereby the possibility of metanoia.
In this state of crisis, the individual gains the perspective required to see another source of enlightenment. Tanabe uses the Shin Buddhist term of "Other-power" to denote this source, also called Absolute Nothingness. This metanoia realizes the inadequacy of human efforts to discover the source of self-awareness and surrenders to it. This surrender provides the power to continue the search for meaning within the midst of everyday life and to act in a compassionate and charitable way to bring others to self-realization.