This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Kyoto School — most prominently associated with Kitaro Nishida — to re-read the Arab IGF 2015 Sharm El Sheikh conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Nishida's logic of basho (place) envisions a logical site that encompasses both subject and object before their separation. Reading Arab IGF as a Nishidan basho reveals an Asian dialogue possibility distinct from Habermasian deliberation.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Arab IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of The place of absolute nothingness, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
IGF as basho
The dialogic norms brought by participants from Egypt (especially Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan) often implicate Nishidan logic of basho. Discussions at 2015 contain the possibility of dialogue mediated by absolute nothingness.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Kitaro Nishida-type problematic.
The regional IGF (Arab IGF) holds a philosophically distinct position as the intermediate category mediating global universality and national particularity.
Dialogue prior to subject-object separation
Kitaro Nishida's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2015 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "地域協力"
Discussion of "地域協力" can be positioned, from the perspective of Kitaro Nishida's The place of absolute nothingness, as a central problematic. In Egypt's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 地域協力 are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "セキュリティ"
Discussion of "セキュリティ" can be positioned, from the perspective of Kitaro Nishida's The place of absolute nothingness, as a derivative problematic. In Egypt's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around セキュリティ are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "地域協調"
Discussion of "地域協調" can be positioned, from the perspective of Kitaro Nishida's The place of absolute nothingness, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Egypt's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 地域協調 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "越境データ"
Discussion of "越境データ" can be positioned, from the perspective of Kitaro Nishida's The place of absolute nothingness, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Egypt's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 越境データ are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "デジタル経済発展"
Discussion of "デジタル経済発展" can be positioned, from the perspective of Kitaro Nishida's The place of absolute nothingness, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Egypt's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around デジタル経済発展 are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Kitaro Nishida perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Egypt.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of The place of absolute nothingness. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Kitaro Nishida's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Kyoto School and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Egypt
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of Arab IGF.
- Arab IGF 2015 Sharm El Sheikh Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Kitaro Nishida (representative texts of Kyoto School)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
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第1稿投稿 2026年6月8日 9時55分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
