Abstract

In post-World War II Japan, Kyoto School philosophers Teiyu Amano and Risaku Mutai played a pivotal role in shaping the Fundamental Law of Education. Drawing on Kant, Hegel, and Kyoto School philosophies, they discussed the importance of individual dignity, the state and world peace in education. This paper revisits their debate and reveals a more nuanced understanding of their educational thought. Contrary to the traditional view of Amano as conservative and Mutai as progressive, both valued individual dignity and the role of the state in education. Their differences lay in their dialectical logics to intermediate between the individual, the state, and the world. Amano advocated a balance between these three aspects, while Mutai emphasized their dynamic interplay in historical contexts.