John C. Maraldo

Japanese Philosophy in the Making 1

Crossing Paths with Nishida

The first of 3 volumes of essays on Japanese philosophy, this work brings together essays that clarify its heritage and its practice, above all in the dynamic thought of Nishida Kitarō. Showing how philosophy takes shape through the translation of language and culture, the author examines the frameworks that have defined and confined Nishida’s thought and then charts new avenues of questioning Nishida and letting him question us. How should we envision the world at a time of environmental crisis, how might we rethink our conceptions of history, religion and God; how is bodily awareness a way that the world knows itself, and just what can we make of Nishida’s famous notion of nothingness—these are some of the questions that guide the meticulous explorations in this collection.

Available from Amazon US, UK, JP, &c. Also available in e-book format for Apple and Kindle.

“John Maraldo has done the philosophical community a great service by situating Nishida’s thought within
the broad global sweep of modem philosophy.”  —Tanaka Jun’ichi

“There is no question that this volume represents a valuable addition to contemporary scholarship on Nishida; it consistently displays depth, clarity, and a novel diversity of critical vantages.… It breaks through the aridity that sometimes burdens Nishida’s style, and too often infects the style of his commentators.”  —Bradley Park

“Maraldo’s scholarship is impeccable; his knowledge of the traditions on which Nishida draws is extensive; his contextualization of the philosophical issues of Nishida’s Japan is spot-on; his use of the most recent scholarship from both Europe and Japan is comprehensive. But more importantly, Maraldo makes his expertise available to his readers in the most clear and precise language possible. Even when Nishida himself is not clear (which to my mind is too often), Maraldo explains.”  —Thomas P. Kasulis

“John Maraldo met en lumière de manière convaincante la nécessité non pas d’opposer la philosophie japonaise à l’occidentale, mais bien au contraire de chercher les lignes de rencontre entre ces philosophies…” —Veronica Cibotaru

“This volume confirms my previous thoughts concerning Maraldo’s writings. He is a reliable and well-grounded source for students to imbibe, not only of Nishida and Japanese philosophy, but of philosophy as such.” —John Krummel

“La philosophie japonaise n’est pas conçue par l’auteur comme un domaine clos, aux frontières bien déterminées, mais bien plutôt comme un effort de pensée toujours ouvert, toujours se faisant… De façon plus générale, John Maraldo met en lumière de manière convaincante la nécessité non pas d’opposer la philosophie japonaise à l’occidentale, mais bien au contraire de chercher les lignes de rencontre entre ces philosophies….” — Veronica Cibotaru

“Among the many North-American scholars of Kyoto-School philosophy, John C. Maraldo is probably the most accustomed, not just to Far-Eastern traditions, but also to the European continental philosophy on which the Kyoto School has sustained itself with so much insistence.… The book of Maraldo presented here is thus not just an excellent presentation of Nishida philosophy but also of the major discussions this philosophy can sustain in todays academia.” —Bernard Stevens

“John Maraldo’s Crossing Paths with Nishida assembles the life’s work of one of the leading voices in Nishida scholarship. Spanning over three decades, this brilliant collection of essays charts the path not just of Nishida’s philosophy, but also the path of deep inquiry of one of his most incisive commentators.… This volume brings us a step closer to his vision of a world philosophy.” —Adam Loughnane

“The consistent quality of Maraldo’s essays and the creative potentials of his research make this volume a highly valuable resource for any scholar interested in Japanese thought, Nishida Kitarō, and global, intercultural philosophy in general.” —Leon Krings