Fukuzawa & Japan
Heaven never created a man above another nor a man below another. Therefore when men are born, Heaven's idea is that all men should be equal to all other men without distinction of high and low or noble and mean, but that they should all work with body and mind, with dignity worthy of the lords of creation, which they are, in order to take all things in the world for the fulfillment of their needs in clothing, food, and dwelling, freely but without obstructing others, so that each can live happily through life (Autobiography 391). This most quoted of Fukuzawa's sayings is one of his many expressions in order to reach out to the Japanese people since he considered the human being as the most sacred and responsible of all statuses. Having been recognized as a man well informed on Western Civilization, Yukichi Fukuzawa wished both to promote the "new knowledge" of the West and to elevate the moral standards of men and women of his land to make them absolutely worthy of a civilized nation. As a result, Fukuzawa believed that Japan could acquire national wealth and power only if it grasped and absorbed the basic ideals of "civilization" from the Western example through encouragement of learning to revolutionize his peoples ideas f
forebears. I have nothing to complain of on looking backward, nothing has been attained, for everything that I had hoped for and prayed for has Established as an intellectual leader of Japan, Fukazawa presented such ideas as the meaning of education and learning, the dignity of an individual, freedom and independence aimed at deepening the understanding of what "civilization" means. He suggests that the people need to be enlightened of what constitutes a highly civilized nation. They must progress through stages by planning great accomplishments for the Since ancient times, Japan has been an island country far to the east of the Asian continent, not associating with foreign countries. Fukuzawa feels that from his experience in the West that foreign relations advocates civilization. He does not reject the closed minded attitude that some of his people share which suggests that their nation is the only one in the world. Instead he attempts to teach them a different perspective. He states that "every nation is under the same heavens, illumined by same sun, breathing the same air, and possessing the same human sentiments. Therefore, whatever we have in excess we should give to them...learning together...mutually praying for the happiness of all" (Autobiography 396). What Fukuzawa is saying here to his people is that if they want to become a greater nation, they need to open their eyes to the world around them by learning different cultures.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Japan Fukazawa, Yukichi Fukuzawa, , Jijo Western, China Japanese, yukichi fukuzawa, civilized nation, encouragement learning, foolish people,
Approximate Word count = 990
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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