| | The Philosophy of Symbiosis by Kisho Kurokawa. The expression of my own will is...the transformation of Western domination and logos.
This quote comes in the last chapter
of Kurokawa's philosophical treatise, though by this time
the reader is well aware of the author's will. His philosophy
is not merely a reaction to western dualism as much as it
is a proponent of the symbiotic ideals: pluralism, cultural
diversity and appreciation, ecology, and what Kurokawa calls
a shift to the age of life principle. This symbiosis is
based on the philosophy of Consciousness Only, a major support
of Mahayana Buddhism which occupies an important place for
Japan, and naturally for the author. Basically the book
looks at Western dualism - based on Christian beliefs that
break the world into opposites (light/dark, good/evil) -
and says that since life and nature are not black and white,
our actions shouldn't be either. Instead of our choices
being broken into one of two dialectics, a symbiosis of
elements from opposites can create something new, a third
choice that still appreciates both sides. It's a positive
view of the world that is rooted in Japanese life but can
find application in other parts of the world, according
to the author.
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