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Based on the anthropological assumption that languages express worldviews, the paper approaches the meaning of cosmopolitanism in Japanese from two directions. First, Western traditions of cosmopolitanism are examined. Anthropological cosmopolitanism is elaborated as a way of thinking that emphasizes cultural diversity. Second, the Japanese word kyôsei (共生) is considered as an equivalent to cosmopolitanism, revealing both similarities and differences in meaning. As ›conviviality‹ or ›symbiosis of dissimilarities‹, kyôsei points to ways of overcoming the implicit anthropocentrism of Western thought. From an educational perspective, Western and Japanese cosmopolitan thought overlap in notions of intercultural education. In the current political discourse in Japan, however, kyôsei has turned into an anticosmopolitan pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of space in cosmopolitan education through a comparison of German philosophy, as represented by Kant, and Japanese philosophy, as represented by Watsuji. While Kant suggests that cosmopolitan education needs to be constructed by connecting with the actual spatial, geographical world, Watsuji, on the other hand, indicates that dynamic cosmopolitan education can be achieved by holding the spatial emptiness of negation. Both theories reinforce each other to produce a fruitful cosmopolitan education that cultivates our practical sense of living in the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]