Spotlights

[Research News] Japanese Philosophy Offers a New Perspective on Education

A recent study proposes a new approach to education that embraces suffering, uncertainty, and human vulnerability

While modern education remains largely driven by technological rationality—prioritizing measurable metrics, control, forecasting, and efficiency—recent research proposes a radically different vision. Professor Fumio Ono from the Faculty of Global and Regional Studies introduces a "philosophy of pathos," framing human suffering, fragility, and unpredictability as vital components of the learning process. Grounded in Japanese philosophical traditions that bridge Eastern and Western thought, the study leverages the "knowledge of pathos" and "logic of lemma" to transform how educational systems engage with crisis, trauma, and ambiguity.

Reference

Ono, F. (2026). Conceptualizing a philosophy of education in response to suffering experiences: Technological rationality, logic of lemma, and the philosophy of pathos. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 1–18.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2026.2725071

For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Innovation, Doshisha University.
https://research.doshisha.ac.jp/news/news-detail-108/

This achievement has also been featured in “EurekAlert!”
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1148032

Title: Rethinking Our Relationship with the World
Caption: A coastal landscape of Minamata city, Japan at sunset. The image reflects the study’s call for an approach to education that recognizes uncertainty, vulnerability and the complex relationship between people and the world around them.
Credit: Professor Fumio Ono from Doshisha University
Image source link: Not applicable
License type: Original content
Usage restrictions: Cannot be used without permission