UTCP members will participate in the IX International Colloquium Bariloche of Philosophy "Metaphilosophy".

Languages: Spanish, English, French or Portuguese.
Organized by the Philosophy Program of the Bariloche Foundation

Continuing with the series of international colloquia in philosophy started in 1992, the Philosophy Program of the Bariloche Foundation announces that the Ninth International Bariloche Colloquium of Philosophy will be held in Bariloche, Argentina, from October 1 through 3, 2008. The focus of the conference will be on Metaphilosophy.

UTCP session:
The Possibilities of Asian Thoughts – Another Metaphilosophy

2nd October, 11:30-13:30

Yasuo Kobayashi (University of Tokyo, Director of UTCP)
Takahiro Nakajima (University of Tokyo)
Yuji Nishiyama (University of Tokyo)
Chair : Francisco Naishtat (University of Buenos Aires)

　Between two famous ways indicated by the Goddess of Justice in Parmenides, Europe turned away from the contradiction “nothing exists”, and chose the way : “being is, but nothing is not”. It is possible tu say that the East has followed the very path denied by the West, and has tried to maintain it as its own way. Hence the westernization of the East is literally the intersection of these two ways. The modern Asian thought has doubtlessly struggled painfully and hard reconciling its own traditional thought with the western philosophy of Being open to actual positivity. In a sense, the western philosophy of Being is nearly attaining “completion” by associating science with technology on an unhuman scale. Now we must probably ask ourselves how to show and name a new outside to this “completion”. Is it possible or not for the Eastan way of thought to express such an outside – heavy responsibility is on us.
　In this session, as an introduction, Yasuo Kobayashi will talk about the possibilities of Buddhism. Then, Takahiro Nakajima will discuss the significance of ‘History of Chinese philosophy’ by comparing the two modern chinese philosophers, Hu Shi and Feng Youlan. In the end, Yuji Nishiyama will analyse the logic of sacrifice and community which the Japanese modern philosopher Hajime Tanabe elaborated in the historical context of World War II.