Identity and encounter: the resource of cultural diversity in the philosophy of François Jullien

Abstract

Francois Jullien has proposed to contemporary philosophical discussion to consider those presuppositions that have remained unthought in western philosophical tradition. These presuppositions include, above all, the conception of being as a coincident and already-made identity. This conception of being not only has consequences in the history of ideas, but also in the personal lives of individuals. To overcome these presuppositions, which are harmful in various ways, Jullien proposes encounter as a great mobilizer of existence. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether the same encounter that Jullien proposes as a promoter of the subject's existence can also be considered to promote the fecundity and resources of cultures when they encounter each other.