Japanese Philosophies of Education: Watsuji Tetsuro and Mori Akira

Grounded in Japanese philosophy and ideas of non-duality and emptiness, this is a much-welcomed contribution to central issues in philosophy of education. Anton Sevilla-Liu uses the thought of ethicist Watsuji Tetsuro (1889-1960) and philosopher of education Mori Akira (1915-1976) to address the dangers of self-centeredness and conformism in a competitive education system. When individual performance is encouraged, is there a way to stress relationality without losing the sense of individuality and uniqueness?

We are introduced to Watsuji and Mori’s enlightening views on education, deeply rooted in spiritual insights that originate in Buddhism and Confucianism while engaging human sciences. By applying their theories to educational practices, Sevilla-Liu shows how to connect students’ creative potential with a dynamic sense of community.

This engaging book outlines a vision of education that balances individual creativity with a sense of community, responding to real challenges in educational systems around the world. It is the ideal starting point for educators and students interested in Japanese ideas about learning and unlearning, doing and letting-go, and the unique dynamicity of the philosophy of emptiness.

Anton Sevilla-Liu is Associate Professor for Clinical Pedagogy at Kyushu University, Japan. He is author of Watsuji Tetsurô’s Global Ethics of Emptiness (2017) and translator of Sueki Fumihiko’s Religion and Ethics at Odds: A Buddhist Counter-Position (2016) and Nishihira Tadashi’s The Philosophy of No-Mind (2024).