Yasutake Miyashiro: Civilization as Sirius

Image: Provided by the Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies

In the "History of World Philosophy" published in France the year before last, there is a chapter titled "Japanese Philosophy." When I opened the book to see what was written, Fukuzawa Yukichi, the "founder of Keio University," appeared as the "greatest intellect" of the early Meiji period. He is introduced as a figure who highly valued Western civilization in terms of its political systems, liberal spirit, and thorough commitment to science. No one would tilt their head in confusion at this introduction. It was none other than Fukuzawa himself who stated that he made "Keio University a guide to Western civilization" out of a desire to make Japan a "civilized and powerful nation in the Western style" ("The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi"). Even turning the pages of "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization," what remains in the reader's heart are likely powerful messages such as "We must resolutely adopt Western civilization" and "Unless we become civilized, independence cannot be maintained." Additionally, his relative perspective and a certain kind of realism that surveys the situation are also deeply impressive. From these points, Fukuzawa can be seen as a thinker who looked at the trends of the times, idealized Western civilization, and inspired Japan's modernization and independence as a nation.

However, upon rereading "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization" on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, it was not such aspects that newly captured my heart. What feels fresh even today is rather that Fukuzawa possessed a perspective that transcended the trends of the times and relative matters. Without this perspective, the idea that "Civilization is a thing without limits, and we must not be satisfied with the current Western nations" could never have come to mind. Fukuzawa held an idea of civilization that was exhausted by neither Western nor Japanese civilization—that is, the ideal of civilization.

What is civilization? It is a grand question, but in Chapter 3, which discusses the "Essence of Civilization," it is explained that "the progress of man's intellectual and moral virtues" is civilization. While based on the arguments of 19th-century historians such as Guizot and Buckle, does this definition actually only refer to Western civilization? If that were the case, one could say that the historical role of "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization" has ended. "In all the countries of the world today [...], anyone who seeks the progress of a nation's civilization must set the standard of discussion with European civilization as the goal, and must discuss the advantages and disadvantages of things based on this standard." However, the "now" of 150 years ago is not the now in which we live. It is uncertain whether catching up with the West remains Japan's most urgent task today. Furthermore, during the era in which Fukuzawa lived, there were Western countries that committed acts of colonial barbarism under the pretext of a civilizing mission. Although there were politicians in those same countries who countered that such barbarism went precisely against the name of civilization, for those who know the history of colonialism, it must be quite difficult to accept the word "civilization" nonchalantly.

Nevertheless, for Fukuzawa, the "Essence of Civilization" is not limited to the Westernization of Japan. "This argument was set forth by observing the current state of the world, planning for the sake of current Japan, and responding to the urgencies of current Japan; it is not, by nature, an eternal and subtle mystery. Scholars must not suddenly see this and misunderstand the essence of civilization, looking down upon it and disgracing the dignity of the word's meaning." He is saying that one must not drown in the arguments of the times and lose sight of the "eternal and subtle mystery" or the "Essence of Civilization." Moreover, civilization seems to refer to an ideal image of humanity, or a mission. "Civilization is a human covenant, and reaching it is naturally a human goal." An "imagination in a dream" called the "Peace of Civilization" is also depicted in "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization," and Fukuzawa even asserts that if the "extreme of civilization" is reached, any government should become a useless appendage.

Of course, it is not as if one should simply sit and wait for such a utopia to arrive. What I want to focus on most is Fukuzawa's attitude of criticizing and leading the actual reality in light of an ideal that transcends that reality. Paying attention to the political situation is different from the cleverness of a weathercock changing policies based on numbers. This stance of relativizing current affairs and perceiving reality critically can also be seen after "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization." In his later work, "One Hundred Discourses of Fukuzawa," he says, "The perfection of civilization should be expected a million years from now and cannot be seen today." Comparing the Earth to a single grain of mustard seed floating in the vast ocean of the universe, and momentarily perceiving humans as "maggots" born to die on that mustard seed, is also a feat of Fukuzawa's far-reaching gaze.

What I am reminded of here is the French expression of looking from the perspective of Sirius (the Dog Star). This expression means a bird's-eye view from a high place or an unbiased, objective view. A part of Fukuzawa's view of civilization could be likened to this view from Sirius. However, taking distance from shifting trends does not necessarily end in being a mere spectator from on high. On the contrary, it was precisely because he did not forget to stand on the heights of civilization that Fukuzawa was able to make bold judgments based on the times. I believe that this attitude is what we should learn anew from "An Outline of a Theory of Civilization" today.