by Rodrigo Ballon Villanueva
Yasuatsu Toyoda (豊田 泰淳)
April 2025 – In Japan, April marks the beginning of a new academic year, accompanied by the stunning – and worldwide famous – cherry blossom season. Inspired by this beautiful image, this month, we are happy to introduce you to Yasuatsu Toyoda.
Yasuatsu’s primary research interests lie in the philosophy of Late Antiquity. He holds a BA (2014), an MA (2016), and a PhD (2024) in Philosophy from Keio University (Japan). His doctoral dissertation focused on Plotinus, particularly his criticism of Aristotle’s conception of the sensible world. Currently a Research Fellow at Waseda University (Japan) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Yasuatsu has broadened his approach to late-ancient thought, including its philosophical influence not only in Greek and Latin but also in Syriac and Arabic. More specifically, his current research is devoted to the Peripatetic tradition, with a particular emphasis on the work of Alexander of Aphrodisias and his impact on the later history of philosophy. Given that some of Alexander’s writings survived only in Arabic, Yasuatsu’s ongoing project involves reconstructing his philosophical views based on a multilingual engagement with texts both in Greek and Arabic.
In addition, Yasuatsu is also interested in the Arabic reception of Plotinus, whose writings, partially translated into Arabic, exerted a significant influence on thinkers in the Islamic world. According to Yasuatsu, although most of Aristotle’s works were widely known through Arabic translations, and Plato’s views were transmitted via testimonies such as those of Galen, it is often the case that Arabic philosophers drew more directly on the interpretations of Plato and Aristotle found in Plotinus and Alexander rather than on the original texts themselves. Yasuatsu’s research aims to deepen the understanding of this layer of philosophical mediation, claiming that it is essential to bridging the intellectual history of Late Antiquity with the formative periods of medieval philosophy.
If you want to get in touch with Yasuatsu and learn more about his fascinating work, feel free to contact him at yasuatsu.t@gmail.com!
©️Rodrigo Ballon Villanueva | “Yasuatsu Toyoda”, IPM Monthly 4/4 (2025).
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