A Religious Humanological Perspective of a Dialogical Ethic(<Special Issue>Religion and Ethics)

Abstract

Human-beings exist in "dialogue" as personal communication with the other, through which we can construct a "humanology" (ningen-gaku) based on humanity. "Dialogue" consists of dia-logos, i.e., the dialogical principle. This is a shared truth, i.e., the logos of human-beings which emerges from relations. The dialogical relationship of "I and Thou" is a "pair" concept that has personal resonance between them. Here exists the moment of paradox and creation. A dialogical ethic, therefore, develops as a religious humanology. In this humanology, religion can lead to an ethic through the channel of dialogue, and an ethic can also approach a religion through the dialogue which is its essential meaning. Ethical-religious humanology, through the dialogical principle, provides us with a paradoxical-creative understanding of human-beings, transcending the former type of "anthropology" (ningen-gaku).