Nishitani’s Emptiness and Relational Thinking: Towards a Philosophical Pedagogy

This paper emphasizes the value of śūnyatā, through the lens of Japanese philosopher Nishitani Keiji, in fostering global philosophical dialogue. First, we highlight how Nishitani interprets śūnyatā, or ‘emptiness’, as a fundamental relationality, distinct from substantiality. The second section situates Nishitani’s thought within the rising paradigm of relational thinking, now influential in philosophy, feminism, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. We note that these discourses have been largely shaped by Anglo-European thinkers, overlooking contributions from philosophers like Nishitani. In the final section of this paper, we illustrate how Nishitani’s concept of ‘emptiness’ could form the foundation for an intercultural philosophical method that allows for a global dialogue moving beyond the critique of existing discourses. This ultimately implies an understanding of philosophy as pedagogical practice.