Hermitix Keiji's Nishitani's 'The Self-Overcoming of Nihilism' with Joseph Turner
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Jul 25, 2026 
Joseph Turner, a PhD student linking continental and Japanese philosophy, discusses Nishitani Keiji and The Self-Overcoming of Nihilism. They explore why the book is a clear entry point, Nishitani’s personal urgency after war, nihilism as a necessary experience, contrasts between negation and Mahayana emptiness, and how shared being reshapes political ontology and relationships.
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Why This Book Is The Best Place To Start With Nishitani
- The Self-Overcoming of Nihilism is a clear, accessible roadmap tracing nihilism from Hegel to Heidegger and showing why it matters for Japan circa 1949.
- Joseph Turner praises Nishitani's straightforward, historically rooted presentation that makes difficult thinkers like Stirner and Nietzsche readable.
Philosophy As Conscious Confession
- Nishitani treats philosophy as a confession: great philosophy reveals the originator's life, motives, and sincere struggles rather than abstract theorizing.
- Parks' translator note emphasizes Nishitani's conscious, autobiographical disclosure as central to his work.
Nihilism Is A Necessary Passage Not A Final Destination
- Nishitani doesn't ask us simply to accept or reject nihilism; he says nihilism is unavoidable and must be passed through, not explained away.
- Passing through nihilism means experiencing groundlessness so one can transform it, not cling to negation.
