The Development of Existential Philosophy in East Asian Context: between Japanese Philosophy and Hung Yao-hsün

Title

The Development of Existential Philosophy in East Asian Context: between Japanese Philosophy and Hung Yao-hsün

Author

Chin-ping LIAO

Page

111-141

DOI

10.6163/tjeas.2015.12(1)111

Abstract

A philosophical term or concept, ＂existence＂ (existentia or existenz) gained popularity in European philosophy in late 19th century. In Japan and Taiwan in East Asia, such philosophical thinking or, simply, existentialism, had its own development in different philosophers' works. The rise of existential philosophy in Europe indicates that the old form of philosophy that takes to be its goal to explore the very root and essence of the world no longer provided the answers needed by modern man. And what existential philosophy concerns itself with is nothing else but human existence and reality. When European philosophy freed itself from the fetters placed on man from philosophy of reason and that of positivism, they found free will as their last resort. In comparison, the philosophers in Japan and Taiwan made the same move. It was in the process through which they introduced, interpreted and absorbed the existential thinking that they applied the philosophy to their own existence. Taking as the point of departure the spread of existentialism in modern Japan, this paper first traces and outlines how European existential thinking, through the introduction and interpretation of Tanabe Hajime (1885-1962) of Kyoto School of Japan, became associated with religious understanding of existence. The paper will discuss next Hung Yao-hsün (1902-1986), a Taiwanese philosopher during the colonial period. It will bring together into the discussion Hung's theory of artistic existence, his application of his philosophical thinking to society, and the relation his philosophical thinking had with Japanese philosophy. Through its examination, this paper hopes to offer some reflection on the development and significance of existentialism in East Asia.

Keyword

East-Asia, existential philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Kyoto school, religious existence, Taiwan's colonial period, Artistic existence

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