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China and Japan share many aspects in terms of technological development and philosophical background. However, there are no works in English connecting these traditions and highlighting the convergence of their work. This special section aims to provide a picture of the actual research performed in China and Japan to show the links connecting them.
China and Japan are facing a radical revolution in their society because of the introduction of new technologies and especially digital ones (Khare et al., 2020; Wang, 2023). For example, social media, AI, robotics, mixed realities, VTubers, and mobile applications like WeChat and LINE are pervasively used in both countries, and they profoundly shape how subjects live and relate to each other (Liberati & Chen, 2023; Zhang & Jung, 2022). As previously anticipated, China and Japan also have a similar philosophical background. Philosophy of technology has been introduced in the two countries in almost the same period. Elements of this philosophy were already present in both countries in the 20 s’, and it is possible to date its constitution as a specific field in the 80 s’ in Japan as in China. Postphenomenology and phenomenological analysis of technologies played an essential role in such a process thanks to the work of Prof. Junichi Murata, Prof. Chen Fan, and Prof. Wu Guosheng (Murata, 2007; Naoe, 2005; Wu, 2010; Yang, 2015; Zhang & Jung, 2022). Moreover, both countries have a robust phenomenological tradition since phenomenologists such as Husserl and Heidegger deeply influenced Japanese and Chinese philosophers such as Nishida Kitaro and ** to delineate the nexus between moral actions and their outcomes. Second, adopting Bauman's perspective, which emphasizes awakening our moral consciences and sensitivities, thus shedding light on the unintended consequences and side effects of technological intermediations and systems.
Nicola Liberati, in his paper “Digital Intimacy in China and Japan,” explores the rise of intimate digital technologies in Japan and China, specifically focusing on the Love Plus [ラブプラス] and ** of individuals through love relationships, postphenomenology examines how technology molds our values. The study reveals that even though these digital entities are not human, they significantly alter perspectives on love and the values related to it that people have.
In “Mediation and Transcendence: Balancing Postphenomenological Theory of Technological Mediation with Karl Jaspers’s Metaphysics of Ciphers,” Dmytro Mykhailov analyzes the relation between technology and transcendence (Mykhailov, 2023). Dmytro Mykhailov introduces a new type of ‘human-technology’ relation named ‘transcending mediation’ and shows that today’s technologies can change not only our relation to the world we live in but also to transcendence. By relying on Karl Jaspers’s metaphysics of ciphers, the paper demonstrates how technologies actively participate in so-called self-transcending practices. The latter, according to Karl Jaspers, are practices through which humans can elucidate one’s true self (e.g., become an Existenz).
Shinya Ohie, in the paper titled “From Relational Freedom to Autonomy: An Expansion of Verbeek’s Postphenomenology,” picks up the concept of “relational freedom,” which thematizes the human self-formation of one’s subjectivity through one’s deliberate actions or decisions using technology by Peter-Paul Verbeek (Oie, 2023). In his paper, he argues that by extending and reinterpreting relational freedom as a concept of personal autonomy, we can obtain a more enriched concept of the latter that incorporates the use of technology properly. Based on such an idea, he offers a means of doing so, proposing some points that need to be clarified in further research.
This special section bridges a crucial gap, drawing connections between postphenomenological research in both China and Japan, despite the current lack of English literature uniting these philosophical traditions. Through diverse papers, we illuminate how technological advancements deeply intertwine with sociocultural contexts and philosophical underpinnings in these countries. Topics range from technological mediation, digital intimacy, the dynamic between technology and transcendence, to the concept of relational freedom. By presenting insights from both nations, this collection not only highlights shared philosophical backgrounds and contemporary technological challenges but also emphasizes the importance of fostering collaboration between these two significant Asian powers. As technology continues to evolve and reshape societies globally, understanding its impact through such intercultural lenses becomes indispensable.
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Liberati, N., Kanemitsu, H. & Haiqing, J. Introduction: Chinese and Japanese Postphenomenology. Hum Stud 46, 371–374 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-023-09688-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-023-09688-0