Q0652
“For what purpose do I exist?” — Nishitani Keiji (Religion and Nothingness, trans. Jan Van…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Religion and Nothingness, trans. Jan Van Bragt, p. 3. Theme: existence.
English
For what purpose do I exist?
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Religion and Nothingness, trans. Jan Van Bragt, p. 3 and files it under Kyoto School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Nishitani Keiji
Nishitani Keiji (1900–1990) was Nishida’s student and a central second-generation Kyoto School figure. Educated in Japan and briefly in Germany under Heidegger’s orbit, he taught at Kyoto University and wrote Religion and Nothingness (Japanese Shūkyō to wa nanika), which confronts modern nihilism through Zen and Mahāyāna emptiness.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Søren Kierkegaard and Henri Bergson), existence is framed through Existentialism and Process Philosophy. Some passages define existence; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through existence, meaning, faith.
Concepts in this quote
- Existence
- Existence appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat existence as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Meaning
- Meaning appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat meaning as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Faith
- Faith appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat faith as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Nishitani Keiji. (n.d.). For what purpose do I exist? In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0652
MLA: Nishitani Keiji. “For what purpose do I exist?.” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0652.
Chicago: Nishitani Keiji. “For what purpose do I exist?.” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0652.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “For what purpose do I exist?”?
The passage is attributed to Nishitani Keiji, Religion and Nothingness, trans. Jan Van Bragt, p. 3. The archive attributes this English wording to Religion and Nothingness, trans. Jan Van Bragt, p. 3 and files it under Kyoto School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Nishitani Keiji mean by existence?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Søren Kierkegaard and Henri Bergson), existence is framed through Existentialism and Process Philosophy. Some passages define existence; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through existence, meaning, faith.