The controversy between ‘Logic of Shu（Species）’ and ‘Ethics of Aidagara （Relationship）’

An Issue shared by Tanabe Hajime and Watsuji Tetsuro

Abstract

This paper contrasts Tanabe Hajime’s‘Logic of Shu’and Watsuji Tetsuro’s‘Ethics of Aidagara’in order to understand their common theoretical underpinning. Whilst they are considered as typical philosophers of the Kyoto school, how their respective thinking can be connected in a philosophical discussion remains to be made explicit. The task of connecting Tanabe’s‘Logic’and Watsuji’s‘Ethics’is a task I shall attempt in this paper. I shall begin with a discussion of Tanabe’s November 1934 paper“The Logic of social being”, in which he firstly defines his theoretical basis ‘Logic of Shu’. In his‘Logic’, he criticized not just Nishida Kitaro but also Watsuji Tetsuro and the latter’s“The Ethics as the theory of human being” published in March of the same year. The first section of this paper clarifies the structure of‘Logic of Shu’and how its criticism relates to Watsuji thinking. Next I shall offer a discussion of Watsuji’s magnum opus“Ethics” published in April 1937. He didn’t offer counterarguments to Tanabe directly, but formulated an‘Ethics of Aidagara’as a‘pre-logical’principle and idea that appears to be incompatible with Tanabe’s‘Logic’. The second section demonstrates that Watsuji countered Tanabe’s‘Logic’with the views expressed in his“Ethics”. Finally I shall view Tanabe’s‘Logic’and Watsuji’s‘Ethics’as two theories that arose from a common issue shared by both philosophers. Their different views as to how the society could be and should be, seems to be in conflict. If we re-evaluate their discussion on this issue, we shall realize that they should be considered as theories which complement each other.