A Study of Natsume Soseki and Western Philosophy

This discussion compared the process by which Soseki's “My Individualism” and “Jikohoni”ideas were established and the contact points between western philosophers in the works from a comparative literature perspective. First of all, the process by which Descartes' “cogito” is recognized and reflected as a method of “methodical skepticism” was found to resemble Soseki's existential struggle in acquiring “Jikohoni” ideas as a moral and ethical subject in “My Individualism” and exploring the essence of literature. In addition, I was able to read Soseki's outspokenness about Nietzsche and Treitschke's ideas in “Tentoroku” which had fewer prior discussions than other works, in that the idea of militarism results in a useful means of war to exterminate human freedom and individual personality, and that means is a low–level concept below its purpose and that there is no absolute freedom for individuals within the framework of the state. Additionally, Kant and Soseki came to the conclusion that Kant and Soseki agreed to enjoy true freedom independently when they did not violate the freedom of others, as ethical subjects, as they acquired the concept of ethics, reflected on the reason, freedom, and personality of modern individuals, and operated as a measure to denounce the evils of modern civilization and capitalism. As a rational subject, They are ethical personalities who do not neglect their internal norms, social obligations, and responsibilities. From Kant's perspective, the teacher's willingness to die in “The Mind” is the teacher's reason is an expression of his ability to choose to recognize suicide as practical, regardless of his or her personal tendency, and he committed suicide as an objective purpose, motive, and realization of absolute value in accordance with the representation of the law that the ethical human being must adhere to. However, at the same time, the teacher's suicide yearned for realistic limitations that could not be possible by being used as a means of self–destructive behavior by his or her representation of an ethical human being who seeks to realize mental improvement. As Kant calls it “a death that violates the inevitable and complete obligation of personality as a purpose itself.”