Culture and Identity

Abstract

This section provides an overview of Japanese philosophical reflections about the cultural or social character of personal identity. It begins with a discussion of differences between the modern Japanese and western treatments of cultural identity, with particular emphasis on what Japanese philosophers believe is lacking in the typical western philosophical anthropologies. It then considers how the domains of language, religion, and politics have influenced the understanding of Japanese cultural and national identity before presenting translations of a variety of texts by Japanese philosophers addressing the problem of culture and identity, including Fukansai Habian, Mori Arimasa, Yagi Seiichi, Takeuchi Yoshimi, and Karatani Kōjin.