Introduction to the Genealogy of “Internal transcendence” in Meiji Period Japan

Abstract

Nishida Kitaro argued in Inquiry into the Good that only through contemplation of the eternal could a person lead a life of meaning. This view on life and morality was not unique to Nishida, but widely shared by other Japanese intellectuals of this period. In order to highlight this point, in this paper I wish to compare the religious philosophy of Nishida Kitaro with that of two other thinkers of the Meiji period, Tsunashima Ryosen and Uchimura Kanzo, who both made profound contributions to the development of Christian thought in Japan. Through this comparison I hope to shed light on the basic substratum of the Japanese religious mind and determine the relationship found therein between mortality and eternity. My hope is that this paper will assist in the establishment of a new standpoint which treats both God and Buddha as unlimited Absolutes, fostering a religious attitude that may provide a greater opportunity for dialogue between members of different religions.