From fundamental absence to absolute nothingness : sublating Nishida Kitarō’s and Wang Bi’s meontologies

S. Rošker, Jana (author)

This article aims to explore the existence of absolute Nothingness within the Daoist framework. The inquiry will revolve around an imagined dialogue, juxtaposing the ideas of Nishida Kitaro and Wang Bi through a contrastive analysis employing the transcultural method of sublation. While Nishida asserted that his philosophy was underpinned only by Zen Buddhism and Western philosophy, we will illuminate the frequently overlooked but profoundly influential role of Chinese Daoism in shaping Nishida's concept of nothingness. It is no coincidence that Nishida himself appeared to be unaware of this Daoist influence. I believe that this oversight constitutes a flaw not only in Nishida's work but also in its common reception. By comparing Nishida’s and Wang’s respective conceptualizations of a dynamic (or “moving”) present, I will demonstrate that both theories depict time in a similar way, i.e. as emerging from the intimate "translocation" of reality. Building on this foundation, this analysis critiques Nishida's reductionist view that the Chinese (or Daoist) concept of nothingness is confined to a mere opposition of being, representing a simplistic dichotomy between being and non-being. Instead, I argue that Wang Bi's notion of original nothingness or fundamental absence (benwu 本無) offers a nuanced parallel to Nishida's concept of absolute nothingness (zettai mu 絶対無).

• Language: English
• Keywords: Nishida Kitaro, Wang Bi, meontology, moving present, Daoist nothingness
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 97-108
• Numbering: Vol. 13, no. 2
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2025.13.2.97-108
• Publication date in RUL: 05.11.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies = Azijske študije
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Od fundamentalne odsotnosti do absolutnega niča : Sublacija meontologij Nishide Kitarōja in Wang Bija

Abstract

Članek raziskuje obstoj absolutnega niča v okviru daoistične miselnosti. Študija temelji na fiktivnem dialogu, ki prek kontrastivne analize s pomočjo transkulturne metode sublacije primerja ideje Nishide Kitarōja in Wang Bija. Čeprav je Nishida trdil, da sta osrednja stebra njegove filozofije zgolj zen budizem in zahodna filozofija, bo članek osvetlil pogosto prezrto, a močno vplivno vlogo kitajskega daoizma pri oblikovanju njegovega pojma niča. Menim, da ni naključje, da se Nishida tega daoističnega vpliva ne zaveda, saj predstavlja ta vidik pomanjkljivost ne le v samem Nishidovem delu, temveč tudi v njegovi običajni recepciji. S primerjavo Nishidovih in Wangovih konceptualizacij dinamične (ali »premikajoče se«) sedanjosti bom pokazala, da obe teoriji čas prikazujeta na podoben način, torej kot nastajajoč iz intimne »translokacije« resničnosti. Na tej osnovi bom kritično preverila Nishidov redukcionistični pogled, ki vidi kitajski (ali daoistični) koncept odsotnosti kot omejen zgolj na nasprotje prisotnosti, kar predstavlja poenostavljeno dihotomijo med bitjem in nebitjem. Nasprotno pa trdim, da Wang Bijev pojem izvornega niča ali fundamentalne odsotnosti (benwu 本無) predstavlja subtilno vzporednico z Nishidovim pojmom absolutnega niča (zettai mu 絶対無).

• Keywords: Nishida Kitarō, Wang Bi, meontologija, premikajoča se sedanjost, daoistični nič