Introduction: Japanese Philosophy and Ethics of Technology

Abstract

It is now widely accepted that technology is not value-free and that there is a need for a continuous discussion about the ethical impacts of technology. Although there are exceptions, scholars who discuss the ethics of technology often draw on Western philosophy, such as utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics. In contrast, this introduction suggest that we should explore the possibilities of Japanese ethics for scrutinising the impact of technology. In the chapter, we briefly outline how philosophers such as Nishida, Watsuji, Miki, Tosaka, Nishitani, Shimomura, Imamichi, and Sakamoto viewed the relationship between ethics and technology. In the end of the chapter, the chapters in the book are summarized.