I had to do a research paper on him in college. He led a pretty fascinating life. When he was young, he worked with a group of samurai translators trying to figure out the Dutch language (which was the only language he could study in pre-Matthew Perry Japan). Then Matthew Perry showed up with his black fleet of ships and forced the Tokugawa Shogunate to open Japan so that America would have a supply port for whaling and other trade industries.
Already mesmerized by foreigners and their technology, he hopped the first boat to San Francisco and then around the world - to Europe and Russia - and then returned home. He founded Keio university and a bunch of other colleges and schools.
The point I really want to make about him is his political philosophy - "national independence through personal independence" - this is what freed Japan and made it modern. The horrors of WWII arose when Japan forgot this notion and abdicated the murderous coup of the govt in 1932 by the Japanese military. For some reason, some critics believe that Fukuzawa was a big imperialist. He never was, reather understanding that personal liberty from government coercion was tantamount to national greatness. The gov't leaves you alone, and thus becomes great for having done so.
IF ONLY THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION WOULD REMEMBER THIS IMPORTANT POLITICAL RULE.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment