This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Japanese Existential Philosophy — most prominently associated with Shuzo Kuki — to re-read the Australia IGF 2019 Sydney conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Kuki's The Problem of Contingency and The Structure of Iki philosophized contingency against necessity and aesthetic mode against logic. Australia IGF reveals cultural diversity in how contingency is received.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Australia IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Philosophy of contingency, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Aesthetics of digital contingency
Contingent conversations and unplanned encounters at Sydney often produce IGF's essential outcomes. The sensibility of iki rooted in Australia resources aesthetic calibration against risk-management bias.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Shuzo Kuki-type problematic.
The national-level IGF (Australia IGF) is an attempt to redefine the modern category of the nation-state in the digital era.
Ethics of iki
Shuzo Kuki's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2019 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "AI倫理"
Discussion of "AI倫理" can be positioned, from the perspective of Shuzo Kuki's Philosophy of contingency, as a central problematic. In Australia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AI倫理 are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "サイバー"
Discussion of "サイバー" can be positioned, from the perspective of Shuzo Kuki's Philosophy of contingency, as a derivative problematic. In Australia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around サイバー are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "デジタル経済"
Discussion of "デジタル経済" can be positioned, from the perspective of Shuzo Kuki's Philosophy of contingency, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Australia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around デジタル経済 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "国内法整備"
Discussion of "国内法整備" can be positioned, from the perspective of Shuzo Kuki's Philosophy of contingency, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Australia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 国内法整備 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "政府＋民間協働"
Discussion of "政府＋民間協働" can be positioned, from the perspective of Shuzo Kuki's Philosophy of contingency, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Australia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 政府＋民間協働 are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Shuzo Kuki perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Australia.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Philosophy of contingency. 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 Shuzo Kuki's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Japanese Existential Philosophy and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Australia
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 Australia IGF.
- Australia IGF 2019 Sydney Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Shuzo Kuki (representative texts of Japanese Existential Philosophy)
*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5日 18時18分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
