Q0657
“The locus of ethical problems lies not in the consciousness of the…” — Watsuji Tetsuro (Rinrigaku: Ethics in Japan, trans. Yamamoto…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Rinrigaku: Ethics in Japan, trans. Yamamoto & Carter, p. 10. Theme: ethics.
English
The locus of ethical problems lies not in the consciousness of the isolated individual, but precisely in the in-betweenness of person and person.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Rinrigaku: Ethics in Japan, trans. Yamamoto & Carter, p. 10 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 Watsuji Tetsuro
Watsuji Tetsurō (1889–1960) was a Japanese ethicist associated with Kyoto intellectual life who criticized Heidegger for privileging temporality and the isolated individual. Climate and Culture (Fūdo) and the multi-volume Rinrigaku relocate ethics in betweenness (aidagara) and in the spatial-climatic milieu that shapes persons.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Kwame Anthony Appiah and Simone de Beauvoir), ethics is framed through Africana Philosophy and Existentialism. Some passages define ethics; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through ethics, relation.
Concepts in this quote
- Ethics
- Ethics appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat ethics as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Relation
- Relation appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat relation as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Watsuji Tetsuro. (n.d.). The locus of ethical problems lies not in the consciousness of the isolated individual, but precisely in the in-betweenness of person and person. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0657
MLA: Watsuji Tetsuro. “The locus of ethical problems lies not in….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0657.
Chicago: Watsuji Tetsuro. “The locus of ethical problems lies not in….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0657.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The locus of ethical problems lies not in…”?
The passage is attributed to Watsuji Tetsuro, Rinrigaku: Ethics in Japan, trans. Yamamoto & Carter, p. 10. The archive attributes this English wording to Rinrigaku: Ethics in Japan, trans. Yamamoto & Carter, p. 10 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 Watsuji Tetsuro mean by ethics?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Kwame Anthony Appiah and Simone de Beauvoir), ethics is framed through Africana Philosophy and Existentialism. Some passages define ethics; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through ethics, relation.