Abstract

The notion of gongsheng or kyōsei (共生), roughly translated as “co-becoming,” refers to the fact and conception of the world as consisting of mutually embedded, co-existent and co-becoming entities. It has been widely deployed in contemporary Japan and China as a desirable framework of thinking in social, environmental and political contexts. This chapter identifies the propositions of Unity-of-Tian-and-Man, Oneness-of-All-Beings, shengsheng and co-dependent origination as the philosophical origins of the thinking of gongsheng and highlights how the gongsheng narrative has been deployed across contexts. In this chapter, the author also provides an analysis on the parallels and differences between the notion of gongsheng and that of convivialism, a notion championed by many European intellectuals, focusing on a philosophy of living together. It finally concludes that while the philosophical origins of gongsheng and convivialism may differ, their ethical and policy aspirations are much the same.