Izutsu’s Zen Metaphysics of I-Consciousness vis-à-vis Cartesian Cogito
Comparative Philosophy An International Journal of Constructive Engagement of Distinct Approaches toward World Philosophy July 27, 2020 Takaharu Oda, Alessio Bucci 1 citation
This article critically compares Toshihiko Izutsu's reconstruction of Zen metaphysics with Descartes' philosophy grounded in "cogito ergo sum." It examines Izutsu's argument based on the subject-object distinction and places his terminological choices in the context of Zen Buddhism. The analysis proceeds step by step from the perspective of Descartes' Meditations, focusing on prima facie similarities in meditative and reflective methodologies. It highlights unequivocal differences: for Descartes, the subject serves as an indubitable foundation for epistemological access to objective reality; for Zen, the subject involves introspective apprehension of the egoless void or absolute reality.