My Best Gakumon no susume

2024/03/15

1. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning), the "Gakumon no Susume Project" began in fiscal year 2022. Readers who are not yet aware of it should definitely visit the project's special website. It can be easily accessed from the main Keio University homepage.

The main initiative of this project involves the President engaging in passionate talks about Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning) with Keio University alumni and researchers active in various fields. By returning to the thoughts of founder Yukichi Fukuzawa and the philosophy of the Juku, the project aims to discover hints for future social transformation, particularly alongside the youth of Generation Z.

Video recordings of dialogues with graduates have been released on YouTube: the first featured entertainer Sho Sakurai; the second featured athletes Shuzo Matsuoka, Saki Takakuwa, Ryota Yamagata, Wakaba Hara, and Yoshinori Muto; and the third featured Sayaka Kobayashi, also known as "Biri Gal." The talk with Ms. Kobayashi, who is currently in the U.S. for study abroad, was recorded at Keio Academy of New York and featured Headmaster Takayuki Tatsumi. Furthermore, a fourth dialogue with Shinichi Kitaoka (Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo and Rikkyo University, former President of JICA) is scheduled for release within this fiscal year. Although Dr. Kitaoka is not a Keio University alumni, he is a great fan of Fukuzawa and has authored a book titled Independence and Self-Respect.

In each session, guests share personal episodes, allowing viewers to enjoy a variety of content. In addition, there is a unified segment called "'Gakumon no susume' My Best." In this corner, guests introduce passages from Gakumon no susume that left a particular impression on them, offering interpretations unique to their own experiences. Below, as far as space permits, I would like to introduce some of them.

2. For Fukuzawa, who preached that people should be treated equally, that equality meant the equality of "rights" (kenri tsugi) (Sections 1 and 2). He argued that people are free as long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others; if they do—that is, if they exceed their "proper station" (bungen)—freedom becomes mere selfishness. Over the first and subsequent sections, Fukuzawa explains individualism theoretically and in an easy-to-understand manner. Mr. Sakurai boldly delved into this theme, which is the true essence of the first half of Gakumon no susume.

Mr. Sakurai reflected that the freedom of having "chosen a life involving risk" as an entertainer has always been accompanied by the responsibility (proper station) of fulfilling his duties as a student. This was likely his own form of self-discipline to avoid falling into selfishness, which consequently prevented him from becoming paralyzed by an excessive fear of failure. In fact, this expression "taking a risk" appeared without fail in the other three dialogues as well.

For example, Mr. Muto, who is active overseas as a professional soccer player, cited the words: "Those who doubt success or failure before even trying cannot be called brave" (Section 4). Ms. Kobayashi also seriously considered what she would lose by choosing to study at a graduate school in the United States when making her decision. Dr. Kitaoka also urged Gen Z youth to challenge themselves boldly without fear of change; all of these were discussed as actions of "taking risks." In this context, Fukuzawa's words, "Those who do not advance will surely retreat, and those who do not retreat will surely advance" (Section 5), are also not forgotten. Freedom likely means opening a heavy door that belongs to no one but yourself.

3. This was also evident when the dialogue with the athletes turned to the "power of sports to realize a peaceful and friendly world." Mr. Matsuoka took the lead by mentioning the utility of the Olympics in bringing about truces and ceasefires, but Ms. Takakuwa deepened the discussion further. Using the Paralympics—where athletes compete while exposing their own weaknesses and injuries—as an example, she pointed out that this is only possible because a fair arena established by rules has been created. As a Paralympian, Ms. Takakuwa noted the miracle and dignity created by the power of human will. Mr. Yamagata also viewed sports as a microcosm of society, focusing on the existence of rules as a prerequisite for sports to function. They spoke of the importance of proactively creating rules and proactively following them. Here, the essence of "Discussing the Nobility of National Law" (Section 6) seeps through.

Law (rules) for Fukuzawa was no longer a one-sided regulation or command from the "authorities" to the governed. He presented a new understanding for the creation of a modern state: "The reason citizens obey the government is not because they obey laws made by the government, but because they obey laws they made themselves" (same section). It was revealed that even in the world of sports competition, the fact that the rule-makers and rule-followers should be the same produces the best results.

By the way, the opportunity to create rules is given when aiming to build a new system based on new values different from those that came before. Gakumon no susume, which simultaneously addressed the difficult tasks of breaking away from the old system of feudalism and constructing a modern social system, also teaches that "to maintain anything, there must be a balance of power" (Section 4). Capturing this point, Ms. Takakuwa said, "Maintaining balance does not mean settling into a place where you feel comfortable." Referring to the way bias is born and balance is lost, Dr. Kitaoka, perhaps speaking as a political scientist, sounded an alarm about the "stagnation of the system." We must never forget the original circumstances under which a system (rule) was required.

4. There are also "My Bests" not mentioned above. For example, Ms. Hara stated that she gained courage from the first section, wishing to fulfill a more active social contribution through her existence as a female rugby player. Mr. Yamagata cited the passage, "There is much falsehood in the world of belief, and much truth in the world of doubt" (Section 15), layering it with the significance of moving away from the given nature of a Japanese perspective and opening up to global standards of value. Furthermore, Ms. Kobayashi took the example of "doubting things and judging whether to accept or reject them" (same section) and spoke enthusiastically about the joy of analyzing cross-cultural experiences during her study abroad from an academic standpoint.

Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning) certainly continues to be read across eras. There are various motives and opportunities to pick up the book, and it is interesting precisely because the parts that resonate and the ways they do so are so diverse. Now, where is your "My Best"? This project will continue to develop in fiscal year 2024. Please look forward to it.