#643 Masahiro Morioka - Manga Introduction to Philosophy; Life, Death, Time, and the Meaning of Life
RECORDED ON APRIL 4th 2022.
Dr. Masahiro Morioka is a professor of philosophy and ethics at Waseda University, Japan. He is considered by many to be one of the most influential thinkers in the current Japanese philosophical community, along with Hitoshi Nagai (Nihon University), and Motoyoshi Irifuji (Aoyama Gakuin University). He is the director of Tokyo Philosophy Project, and the editor-in-chief of Journal of Philosophy of Life. He specializes in philosophy of life, life studies, bioethics, gender studies, and criticism of contemporary civilization. He is the author of books like Nihilism and the Meaning of Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with James Tartaglia, and Manga Introduction to Philosophy: An Exploration of Time, Existence, the Self, and the Meaning of Life.
In this episode, we focus on Manga Introduction to Philosophy. We start by asking what is philosophy, and how it can relate to the life of ordinary people. We talk about the philosophy of life and what Dr. Morioka calls “life studies”. We go through concepts and ideas explored in the book, like “now”, “past-present-future”, the fear of death, life as suffering, what it is to “exist”, solipsism, and birth. We discuss antinatalism. We talk about issues in modern industrialized societies, and current trends in Japanese culture and society. Finally, we talk about manga as a cultural phenomenon in Japan and as a medium to explore philosophical ideas.
Time Links:
Intro
What is philosophy?
Philosophy of life, and “life studies”
“Now”, and “past-present-future”
Should we fear death?
Life as suffering
What is it to “exist”?
The “other”, solipsism, and establishing relationships with other people
Is life an “illusion”?
Birth, and antinatalism
Japanese culture, and modern industrialized society
Current trends in Japanese society
Manga as a cultural phenomenon, and its relationship with philosophy
Follow Dr. Morioka’s work!
Follow Dr. Morioka’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3tTIOAj
Website (Lifestudies): https://bit.ly/3sQRXuC
PhilPeople profile: https://bit.ly/3sQnQ6r
Amazon page: https://amzn.to/3zhADzT
Manga Introduction to Philosophy: https://amzn.to/35Weehg
Twitter handle: @masa_morioka