Course | Kitaro Nishida – Between Zen Buddhism and Western Philosophy

1. Friday 30 October – (Modern) Japanese philosophy

   Philosopher Margreet de Zeeuw: (Moderne) Japanese philosophy, its origins, its characteristics

    

2. Friday 6 November – Philosophizing Between Cultures and an Introduction to Kitaro Nishida 

   Philosopher Herman Westerink: Intercultural philosophy; the dialogue with the East 
   Philosopher Margreet de Zeeuw: Introduction to the Kyoto School and Kitaro Nishida

    

3. Friday 13 November – Nishida and Zen Buddhism and concept of pure experience 

   Scholar of religion Paul van der Velde: Introduction to Zen Buddhism
   Philosopher Margreet de Zeeuw: Nishida’s relation to religion and the concept of pure experience

    

4. Friday 20 November – Kant, Neo-Kantianism, and Nishida’s Concept of Basho 

   Philosopher Manja Kisner: Kant and the Neo-Kantianists on epistemology
   Philosopher Margreet de Zeeuw: Nishida’s logic of basho  
    
   Note: Friday 27 November: no lecture concerning Farewell Lecture of Paul van der Velde
   (Not a part of the course)

    

5. Friday 4 December – Hegel and Nishida’s concept ‘action intuition’ 

   Philosopher Robin Riemersma: Hegel’s Dialectic
   Philosopher Margreet de Zeeuw: Nishida's concept ‘action intuition’  
    

About the teachers

Margreet de Zeeuw is an economist, philosopher, and course coordinator. She is completing her PhD at Radboud University on the crisis in physics. She explores whether it is time for a new philosophical foundation in physics.

Herman Westerink is Professor by Special Appointment of Worldviews and Mental Public Health at Radboud University and is Scientific Director of the Titus Brandsma Institute. In his teaching and research in the philosophy of religion, he places a strong emphasis on philosophical anthropology.

Paul van der Velde is Emeritus Professor of Comparative Religious Studies, with a specialization in Asian religions, at Radboud University. He is known as a passionate storyteller and regularly travels to Asia. His lectures are therefore richly interwoven with many anecdotes.

Manja Kisner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Metaphysics and Philosophical Anthropology. She specializes in Kant and post-Kantian philosophy.

Robin Riemersma is a Lecturer and PhD candidate in the Departments of History of Philosophy, Metaphysics, and Philosophical Anthropology. His research focuses on key philosophical concepts such as “system,” “principle,” and “method,” and on how Hegel brings these terms together in an original and innovative way.