Japanese Philosophy, Logic and Linguistics Translated into English

I’ve had the pleasure of translating the introductory chapter of  Ronritekishikou to wa nanika (『論理的思考とは何か』) [What is Logical Thinking?] written by Professor Masako Ema Watanabe of Nagoya University.  In her book, Dr. Watanabe discusses an invisible culture clash caused by differences in how people from different countries think and reason.  She goes into detail about the different ways people from America, France, Iran and Japan structure their thoughts, writing, and argumentation.  Understanding these differences can enable effective communication and help prevent cultural conflict.   She goes on to explain how anyone can use “polylogical thinking” to flexibly adapt their way of logical thinking to best fit any situation.  I owe my thanks to Dr. Watanabe for her advice and feedback, and to Iwanami Shoten, the publisher, for permitting me to post the translation.

Read it here.