Discontinued continuity in Kitaro Nishida: On the foundation without foundation that makes self-identity possible, and which is still hidden between Eastern and Western thought

Abstract

In this paper I investigate the difference between Nishida's original sentences and their translations. In the paper, I intend to demonstrate what it was that Nishida termed as »absolutely contradictory self-identity«. Something is contradictory, and not contradictory at the same time. The language that can express this »at the same time« is the language of poetry. The source of Nishida's philosophy may be the language of poetry. In my opinion, in Nishida may be found the common source that lies in the foundations of religion, philosophy, and poetry. This common foundation may be explained through a dialog between Western thought, which holds the standpoint of the absolute Being, and Eastern thought, which develops starting from absoulte nothingness. Their dialog is therefore necessary. And since the modern world has lost its transcendental horizon, the task to transform the one-dimensional world into a multi-diensional one through this dialog also offers itself.