Events 17th Permanent Seminar on Nishida Philosophy "Language, Thought, Writing, Translation in K. Nishida"
April 10th, 2026. 20:00~22:30 JST
Online
The analysis of Nishida’s vocabulary and written style is at once fascinating and considerably complex. First and foremost, it is important to situate them within the broader context of the emergence and development of the literary movement known as genbun’itchi 言文一致 (“the unification of spoken style and written language”) at the end of the Meiji period (1868–1912) and during the Taishō era (1912–1926). According to Nishida himself, this nascent literary style provided him with the means to articulate the intricacies of a philosophy that was likewise in formation. The two lecturers will address these issues through a dialogue based on their experience as translators and interpreters of Nishida’s philosophy.
April 10, 2026
20:00-22:30 pm (Japanese time)
Online
20:00-22:30 pm (Japanese time)
Online
N.B.: This seminar is organized in collaboration with ENOJP and will take place in French. It will be possible to ask questions using other languages.
Speakers:
Speakers:
20:00-21:30
Jacynthe TREMBLAY（Université du Québec à Montréal）：La formation du style littéraire et du vocabulaire de Nishida / The formation of Nishida’s literary style and vocabulary
L’analyse du vocabulaire et du style littéraire de Nishida est un thème à la fois fascinant et passablement complexe. Avant tout, il importe de le situer dans le cadre plus global de l’émergence et du développement du mouvement littéraire appelé genbun’itchi 言文一致 (« accord du style parlé et de la langue écrite ») à la fin de l’époque Meiji (1868-1912) et durant l’ère Taishō (1912-1926). De l’avis même de Nishida, ce style littéraire en formation lui fournit le moyen d’exprimer les méandres d’une philosophie elle aussi en gestation. Dans cette présentation, nous examinerons quelques-unes des caractéristiques du genbun’itchi 言文一致 dans les écrits de Nishida, avant de procéder à une analyse détaillée du vocabulaire qu’il utilisa. Nous insisterons particulièrement sur la manière dont Nishida forma certains substantifs et adjectifs, sur son riche emploi des verbes, de même que sur les innombrables termes qu’il tira du vocabulaire scientifique. Il s’agit, notamment, de l’esthétique, de l’éthique, de la linguistique, des mathématiques, de la physique quantique, de la biologie, de la politologie et des religions (asiatiques et occidentales).
The analysis of Nishida’s vocabulary and written style is at once fascinating and considerably complex. First and foremost, it is important to situate them within the broader context of the emergence and development of the literary movement known as genbun’itchi言文一致 (“the unification of spoken style and written language”) at the end of the Meiji period (1868–1912) and during the Taishō era (1912–1926). According to Nishida himself, this nascent literary style provided him with the means to articulate the intricacies of a philosophy that was likewise in formation. In this presentation we shall examine some of the characteristics of genbun’itchi as they appear in Nishida’s writings, before conducting a detailed analysis of the vocabulary he employed. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which Nishida formed certain nouns and adjectives, his rich use of verbs, and the numerous terms he borrowed from scientific lexicons — notably from aesthetics, ethics, linguistics, mathematics, quantum physics, biology, political science, and the religions of both Asia and the West.
The analysis of Nishida’s vocabulary and written style is at once fascinating and considerably complex. First and foremost, it is important to situate them within the broader context of the emergence and development of the literary movement known as genbun’itchi言文一致 (“the unification of spoken style and written language”) at the end of the Meiji period (1868–1912) and during the Taishō era (1912–1926). According to Nishida himself, this nascent literary style provided him with the means to articulate the intricacies of a philosophy that was likewise in formation. In this presentation we shall examine some of the characteristics of genbun’itchi as they appear in Nishida’s writings, before conducting a detailed analysis of the vocabulary he employed. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which Nishida formed certain nouns and adjectives, his rich use of verbs, and the numerous terms he borrowed from scientific lexicons — notably from aesthetics, ethics, linguistics, mathematics, quantum physics, biology, political science, and the religions of both Asia and the West.
21:30-22:30
Camille HERVÉ（Université Paul Valéry Montpellier）: Réponse : écriture, traduction et déploiement du sens chez Nishida / Response: Writing, Translation, and the Unfolding of Meaning in Nishida
Cette intervention propose d’examiner certains aspects de l’écriture de Nishida tels qu’ils apparaissent à travers le travail de traduction. L’attention sera d’abord portée sur le rôle de la répétition dans ses textes, non comme simple trait stylistique, mais comme une nécessité structurale à travers laquelle se déploie l’articulation philosophique. Il s’agira ensuite d’examiner la manière dont Nishida superpose plusieurs niveaux de signification à l’intérieur d’un même terme, comme on peut l’observer dans l’usage de différents mots pour désigner la « forme » (katachi, keisō, keishiki) ou « l’individuel » (kobutsu, kosei, kojin), parfois au sein d’une même phrase. Ces stratifications lexicales ne sont pas contingentes, mais manifestent la logique même d’une pensée qui cherche à exprimer la multidimensionnalité du monde de l’agir. Enfin, l’intervention s’intéressera au déplacement de sens que Nishida opère à travers certaines structures syntaxiques, comme dans l’expression « tsukurareta mono kara tsukuru mono e », où l’idée de « fabrication » se déploie à plusieurs niveaux conceptuels. L’ensemble de ces éléments permet de montrer que répétition, superposition et déplacement sémantique ne constituent pas de simples traits formels, mais participent pleinement au déploiement du système philosophique de Nishida dans et par la langue.
This response proposes to examine certain aspects of Nishida’s writing as they emerge through the work of translation. Particular attention will first be given to the role of repetition in his texts, not as a mere stylistic feature, but as a structural necessity through which philosophical articulation unfolds. The discussion will then examine Nishida’s tendency to superimpose multiple layers of meaning within a single term, as can be observed in his use of different words to designate “form” (katachi, keisō, keishiki) or “the individual” (kobutsu, kosei, kojin), sometimes within the same sentence. These lexical stratifications are not incidental, but reflect the very logic of a thought that seeks to articulate the multidimensionality of the world of acting. Finally, the response will consider the displacement of meaning that Nishida produces through certain syntactic structures, such as in the expression “tsukurareta mono kara tsukuru mono e”, where the notion of “making” operates across several conceptual levels. Taken together, these elements show that repetition, superposition, and semantic displacement are not merely formal features, but play a central role in the unfolding of Nishida’s philosophical system within language itself.
For the zoom link
This response proposes to examine certain aspects of Nishida’s writing as they emerge through the work of translation. Particular attention will first be given to the role of repetition in his texts, not as a mere stylistic feature, but as a structural necessity through which philosophical articulation unfolds. The discussion will then examine Nishida’s tendency to superimpose multiple layers of meaning within a single term, as can be observed in his use of different words to designate “form” (katachi, keisō, keishiki) or “the individual” (kobutsu, kosei, kojin), sometimes within the same sentence. These lexical stratifications are not incidental, but reflect the very logic of a thought that seeks to articulate the multidimensionality of the world of acting. Finally, the response will consider the displacement of meaning that Nishida produces through certain syntactic structures, such as in the expression “tsukurareta mono kara tsukuru mono e”, where the notion of “making” operates across several conceptual levels. Taken together, these elements show that repetition, superposition, and semantic displacement are not merely formal features, but play a central role in the unfolding of Nishida’s philosophical system within language itself.
For the zoom link