Self-Awareness as Transcendental Mediationality

Abstract

The theories of self-consciousness that developed within the hermeneutic tradition went largely neglected, seemingly overshadowed by the nascent “logic of the horizon” that appeared over the course of the same movement. However, regardless of this past neglect, Paul Yorck’s theory of self-consciousness is unmistakably worthy of our attention as contemporary scholars. Indeed, current phenomenological debates seem to have once again started producing arguments concerning self-consciousness that resemble Yorck’s theory. To at least some degree, these ideas are commensurate with both the discussions concerning the problem of “the relational structure between ‘reason’ and ‘reason’s other’” that took place in German Idealist philosophy (particularly in Fichte’s later Wissenschaftslehre), as well as to discussions concerning the general problem of the relation between life and knowledge. Yet, the philosopher whose work most strongly resonates with this movement is actually none Nishida Kitaro’s theory of “self-awareness”. In this contribution, we will re-interpret Nishida’s account of self-awareness as a theory capable of penetrating the very core of the problems we find in current philosophical debates. To do this, we will look at the function which allows for the apparent to appear, even as it conceals itself. This function is referred to here as “transcendental mediationality”, and is none other than the “self-differentiation of life” itself. As we shall see in this contribution, in Nishida’s philosophy it is precisely through “becoming one” with this differentiation itself that we are able to give an account of self-awareness.

Translator’s Note: Nitta here uses the word baitaisei 媒体性 in Japanese to express his intended concept. Nitta’s preferred translation into a foreign language would be the German Medialität. Unfortunately, attempting to use the English word “Mediality,” could lead us to trouble, and as such is not the best option for this translation. Whereas “Mediality” has the possibility of being mistaken as being related to the (mass) media in some direction, this has nothing to do with Nitta’s term. As such, in so far as I can tell the clearest term we could use would be that of “Mediationality,” so as to mean the very process of mediating the differentiation present to self-consciousness.

This article is a translation of one chapter from the book Phenomenology as the Path of Thought (2009) that was originally based on an article published in the year 2000.