Дослідження блага. Частина ІІІ, глави 8–9 / Переклад з японської, вступна стаття та коментарі С. В. Капранова

Abstract

This publication presents the Ukrainian translation of chapters 8–9 of the third part of the work Zen-no kenkyū (Investigation of the Good) by Nishida Kitaro, a prominent Japanese philosopher of the 20^th century, the founder of modern Japanese philosophy. The third part of the work is devoted to the concept of the good. In Chapter 8, Nishida continues to analyze different ethical theories. He considers hedonism, in which he distinguishes two varieties – egoistic and sociocentric. He includes the ancient school of Cyrenaica and Epicurus in the first, and Bentham and Mill in the second. Nishida concludes that this doctrine “can neither provide a correct objective criterion nor explain the necessary imperative elements of moral good”. But the main thing is that Nishida does not agree with the main principle of hedonism, namely, that the only goal of human life is pleasure. In Chapter 9, Nishida moves from criticism to the formulation of his own position. He calls it energetism. Nishida formulates its main principle as follows: “Good is the fulfillment of our inner demands, that is, the fulfillment of the ideal, in other words, the completion of the development of the will”. The Japanese philosopher finds the origins of energetism in Plato and Aristotle, as well as in the Upanishads. Considering the good from this perspective, Nishida proves that it coincides with the concepts of beauty and true reality, in fact arriving at the classical triad “truth – good – beauty”. In these chapters, Nishida actively refers to Western philosophy: in addition to Aristippus, Epicurus, Plato, Aristotle, Bentham, and Mill, he quotes Thomas Aquinas, Spinoza, and Danish philosopher Harald Hōffding. He also refers to the self-actualization theory of Thomas Hill Green, which was popular in Japan at the time, although he does not mention the name of this philosopher – however, it was well known to readers. From Eastern philosophies, Nishida, in addition to mentioning the Upanishads, quotes Confucius.