Article published in the European Journal of Japanese Philosophy
Watsuji’s Ethics from the Perspective
of Kata as a Technology of the Self
This paper investigates the history of systems of thought different from those of the West. A closer look at Japan’s long philosophical tradition draws attention to the presence of uniquely designed acculturation and training techniques designed as kata or shikata (型 or 仕形 ), shedding light on kata as a generic technique of self-perfection and self-transformation. By seeing kata as foundational to the Japanese mind and comparing it to Michel Foucault’s research on technologies of the self, the groundwork is laid for a comparative analysis in terms of the principle of ἐπιμελείσθαι σαυτού (taking care of oneself ), an ethical and aesthetic paradigm dating back to European antiquity. Not only does this bring to light their similarities as techniques of individuation, it also reinforces the importance of Watsuji’s relational understanding of human being.
