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Keiji Nishitani

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Keiji Nishitani was a Japanese philosopher and a prominent member of the Kyoto School, a movement that sought to integrate Western philosophy with Eastern thought. He is best known for his 1961 book 'Religion and Nothingness,' which explores the relationship between Zen Buddhism and Western nihilism. In this work, he examines the concept of 'absolute nothingness' as a response to existential crisis. Nishitani was a student of Kitaro Nishida and spent time studying under Martin Heidegger in Germany.

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What is Keiji Nishitani's most important book?

Nishitani's major philosophical work is Religion and Nothingness, published in Japanese in 1961. It represents the fullest expression of his attempt to bridge Zen Buddhist thought with Western nihilism and existentialism.

Was Keiji Nishitani a student of Nishida Kitaro?

Yes, Nishitani was a direct student of Nishida Kitaro, the founder of the Kyoto School of philosophy. Nishitani succeeded Nishida's philosophical project and became one of the most prominent figures of the Kyoto School himself.

How does Nishitani connect Zen Buddhism and nihilism?

Nishitani argued that nihilism, when fully confronted, opens onto what he called the 'field of emptiness' — a standpoint that overlaps with the Mahayana Buddhist concept of sunyata. In Religion and Nothingness, he positioned this as a response to both Nietzsche's nihilism and Heidegger's existential analytic.

What is the Kyoto School of philosophy?

The Kyoto School refers to a group of Japanese philosophers centered at Kyoto University in the early-to-mid 20th century who blended Western philosophy with Zen and Pure Land Buddhist thought. Alongside Nishitani and Nishida Kitaro, Tanabe Hajime was a key figure in the movement.