Masahiro Mori and Buddhist robotics

Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori’s Buddhist philosophy, institute practices and engineering education, including collaboration with Hiroko Kamide and debates over robot Buddha-nature and moral patienthood.

HMIF 1.1 record

This machine edition represents Hieropedia editorial claims, provenance, relations, citation metadata, claim maps, and translation states. It is not a canonical translation and does not assert machine consciousness, belief, or independent authority.

HMIF 1.1 specification · Complete dataset

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  "summary": "Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori’s Buddhist philosophy, institute practices and engineering education, including collaboration with Hiroko Kamide and debates over robot Buddha-nature and moral patienthood.",
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    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:1",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 1: Takeshi Kimura, “Masahiro Mori’s Buddhist philosophy of robot,” Paladyn, Journal of Behavioral Robotics 9, no. 1 (2018): 72–81, especially 75–79. DOI and publisher record.",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1515/pjbr-2018-0004"
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    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:2",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 2: Masahiro Mori, “Does a Robot Have Buddhanature?”, Tricycle, 21 March 2023. Adapted from The Buddha in the Robot. Text.",
      "url": "https://tricycle.org/article/robot-buddhanature/"
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    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:3",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 3: Masahiro Mori, interviewed by Yasuhiko Sata, “生命力を自在にとらえる” [Apprehending life’s force freely], VITALITE, undated, 1–2. Tokibo-hosted interview.",
      "url": "https://www.tokibo.co.jp/pdf/vitalite/vitalite5int.pdf"
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    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:4",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 4: Masahiro Mori, “Le Bouddha dans le robot. Rencontre avec le professeur Masahiro Mori,” interview with Zaven Paré, Emmanuel Grimaud and Chihiro Minato, Gradhiva 15 (2012): 162–181, especially 163–167. Interview conducted autumn 2009. DOI; full interview PDF. Locator: DOI.",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.4000/gradhiva.2393"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:4:locator:2",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 4: Masahiro Mori, “Le Bouddha dans le robot. Rencontre avec le professeur Masahiro Mori,” interview with Zaven Paré, Emmanuel Grimaud and Chihiro Minato, Gradhiva 15 (2012): 162–181, especially 163–167. Interview conducted autumn 2009. DOI; full interview PDF. Locator: full interview PDF.",
      "url": "https://www.galeriecharlot.com/media/press1521/le-bouddha-dans-le-r-galeriecharlot-ksi8j.pdf"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:5",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 5: Fumito Tsuchiya, “徒然なるままに,” JAPIC NEWS, June 2009, 2–3. Issue PDF.",
      "url": "https://www.japic.or.jp/service/whats_new/japicnews/pdf/JAPICNEWS09-06.pdf"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:6",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 6: Frederik L. Schodt, “The Metaphysical Can Opener,” The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 18, no. 23, article 1 (1 December 2020), 1–2 and notes. DOI; full text PDF. Locator: DOI.",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1017/S1557466020030673"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:6:locator:2",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 6: Frederik L. Schodt, “The Metaphysical Can Opener,” The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 18, no. 23, article 1 (1 December 2020), 1–2 and notes. DOI; full text PDF. Locator: full text PDF.",
      "url": "https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/62D0D4200F1582C0B7213D4BEBB4AF7A/S1557466020030673a.pdf/the-metaphysical-can-opener.pdf"
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    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:7",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 7: Linda C. Pope and Ted Metzler, “Has a Robotic Dog the Buddha-nature? Mu!”, in AI and Consciousness: Theoretical Foundations and Current Approaches, AAAI Workshop Technical Report WS-08-05 (2008), 23–26, especially 23–25. Paper PDF.",
      "url": "https://cdn.aaai.org/Workshops/2008/WS-08-05/WS08-05-005.pdf"
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    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:8",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 8: Takeshi Kimura, “ロボットと仏教のハイブリディティ:森政弘のロボット考学” [Hybridity of Robotics and Buddhism: Masahiro Mori and the Philosophy of Robotics], 山口大学哲学研究 [Yamaguchi University Philosophical Studies] 22 (2015): 31–42, especially 32 and 35–38. University repository PDF.",
      "url": "https://petit.lib.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/24841/files/156368"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:9",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 9: Masahiro Mori, The Buddha in the Robot, translated by Charles S. Terry, first English edition (Tokyo: Kosei, 1981), 192 pages. CiNii catalog, including original-volume note; National Diet Library catalog. Locator: CiNii catalog, including original-volume note.",
      "url": "https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA5449206X"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:9:locator:2",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 9: Masahiro Mori, The Buddha in the Robot, translated by Charles S. Terry, first English edition (Tokyo: Kosei, 1981), 192 pages. CiNii catalog, including original-volume note; National Diet Library catalog. Locator: National Diet Library catalog.",
      "url": "https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I000001511318"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:10",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 10: Masahiro Mori, “The Uncanny Valley,” translated by Karl F. MacDorman and Norri Kageki, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine 19, no. 2 (June 2012): 98–100. Authorized translation of the 1970 essay. IEEE Spectrum text.",
      "url": "https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-uncanny-valley"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:11",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 11: W. A. Borody, “The Japanese Roboticist Masahiro Mori’s Buddhist Inspired Concept of ‘The Uncanny Valley’,” Journal of Evolution and Technology 23, no. 1 (2013): 31–44. Full text; DOI. Locator: Full text.",
      "url": "https://jetpress.org/v23/borody.htm"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:11:locator:2",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 11: W. A. Borody, “The Japanese Roboticist Masahiro Mori’s Buddhist Inspired Concept of ‘The Uncanny Valley’,” Journal of Evolution and Technology 23, no. 1 (2013): 31–44. Full text; DOI. Locator: DOI.",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.55613/jeet.v23i1.4"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:12",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 12: Hiroko Kamide and Masahiro Mori, “One being for two origins — A necessary awakening for the future of robotics,” 2016 IEEE Workshop on Advanced Robotics and its Social Impacts (ARSO), 11–15. DOI; Kamide’s Kyoto University publication record. Locator: DOI.",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1109/ARSO.2016.7736248"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:12:locator:2",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 12: Hiroko Kamide and Masahiro Mori, “One being for two origins — A necessary awakening for the future of robotics,” 2016 IEEE Workshop on Advanced Robotics and its Social Impacts (ARSO), 11–15. DOI; Kamide’s Kyoto University publication record. Locator: Kamide’s Kyoto University publication record.",
      "url": "https://kdb.iimc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/profile/en.e1c697bd392a9dbc.html"
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    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:13",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 13: Hiroko Kamide, interviewed by Yueh-Hsuan Weng, “One being for two origins: A new perspective on roboethics,” Robohub, 8 December 2016; interview dated 5 December. Interview.",
      "url": "https://robohub.org/one-being-for-two-origins-a-new-perspective-on-roboethics/"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:14",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 14: Masahiro Mori and Hiroko Kamide, ロボット工学と仏教――AI時代の科学の限界と可能性 (Tokyo: Kosei Shuppansha, 2018), 512 pages, ISBN 9784333027842. Publisher-supplied description, contents and publication dates.",
      "url": "https://www.hanmoto.com/bd/isbn/9784333027842"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:15",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 15: Shigeki Moro, “AI·佛性·倫理” [AI, Buddha-nature and ethics], Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies 3, no. 2 (2020): 20–42, especially 25–29. Full text PDF; DOI: 10.6939/HIJBS.202010_3(2).0002.",
      "url": "https://glorisunglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hualinc3.2_moro.pdf"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:16",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 16: Masahiro Mori Study Group, もの作りは者づくり:ロボット博士の伝授録 (Tokyo: Kosei Shuppansha, 2020), ISBN 9784333028269. Publisher-supplied description and contents.",
      "url": "https://www.bookcellar.jp/product/detail/1237464"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "hp:people:masahiro-mori:source:17",
      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 17: Susumu Kunifuji, memorial for Masahiro Mori, Japan Creativity Society Newsletter, 10 April 2025, 7. Newsletter PDF.",
      "url": "https://www.japancreativity.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025NL4%E6%9C%88%E5%8F%B7.pdf"
    },
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      "kind": "editorial-source-record",
      "label": "Reference 18: Norri Kageki, “An Uncanny Mind: Masahiro Mori on the Uncanny Valley and Beyond,” IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2012; editorial death notice added 22 January 2025. Interview and update.",
      "url": "https://spectrum.ieee.org/an-uncanny-mind-masahiro-mori-on-the-uncanny-valley"
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  "evidenceStatus": "Published interviews, participant recollections, bibliographic records and scholarly analyses document Mori’s Buddhist robotics, its practical settings and critical reception; a 2025 memorial records his death.",
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  "classificationRationale": "A historical people record about Mori’s documented writing, teaching and Buddhist robotics, with later AI relevance and reception. It does not classify Mukta as a denomination, infer his involvement in Mindar, or establish machine consciousness.",
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