Abstract:This study is a theoretical investigation that explores the ontological dimension of Dao 道 and qi 氣 in Daoist philosophy and their potential relation to aesthetics in a broader sense. It elaborates on the notion of Dao and qi in metaphysical ways, with some consideration of their ontological aspects and through exegetical reading of related texts and passages. Following this, it examines the works of the contemporary philosopher, sinologist, and composer Ishida Hidemi 石田秀実 (1950-2017) [...] His historico-philosophical works seem to focus around the realm of qi, while the music he composed in its ideal, or rather in its “natural” setting, seems to be played becomingly in itself, letting sounds be themselves as they wander to seek the way (Dao) within the sphere of qi.[Excerpt from introductory section, partially modified]
* This published version is edited in terms of a kind of modern sinology, so to speak, based on empiricist and positivist ontology, and in several more or less paragraphs and passages it contains some notions (e.g., concepts, inferences, and translations) that the author, myself, does not necessarily endorse; however, this time and to a certain extent, the author loosened part of the discursive nexus presented in the manuscript, considering that there would be an editorial policy for a relative degree of consistency throughout the book, a collection of papers written by different authors. The (meta-)philosophical version will be publicized later as a revised pre-print edition.
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