On Resetting the Direction of My Research

I studied philosophy in France as an international student from 1992 to 2003. In 2006, I became a full-time faculty member at the Faculty of Science and Technology of this Juku, and at the same time, I was put in charge of a course titled "Science and Philosophy." Originally, I wrote my doctoral dissertation on the French philosopher Jacques Derrida's interpretation of Hegel, and my research was in a field within contemporary Western philosophy that has a relatively high interest in the history of philosophy. Therefore, "science" was not necessarily a major theme for me until then.

"Science and Philosophy" is a general education course for third- and fourth-year students in the Faculty of Science and Technology. Through trial and error, I wanted to provide students—who will likely be active in fields related to science and technology in the future—with a broad perspective by exposing them to profound ideas that discuss science from a philosophical standpoint. However, there was a problem: even if I gave lectures on the grand, deep thoughts provided by philosophers like Heidegger and the view of science and technology that emerges from those thoughts, it was difficult to connect them to concrete guidelines for action for scientists and engineers.

In the midst of this, I had the opportunity to study in France again for two years starting in the spring of 2012. This gave me time not only to reconsider the content of the "Science and Philosophy" class but also, more fundamentally, to reset the direction of my future research. I felt I was able to find a body of thought that I could deeply empathize with philosophically and find substantial as a research subject, while also containing somewhat concrete considerations regarding modern science and technology that could attract the interest of students in the Faculty of Science and Technology. I found this in the work of the philosopher Bruno Latour and decided to set his thought as my new research subject.

As a result of this process, since the 2014 academic year, the "Science and Philosophy" lectures have centered on Latour's philosophy and philosophy of science, and I have readjusted the direction of my own research accordingly. Since such an adjustment involves a change in specialization, it entails a certain amount of sacrifice in terms of time and effort, but I believe it was necessary. I think any researcher may face a situation where the direction of their research changes, but in my case, it was related to my commitment to a single course.