In the former section, my argument divided the meaning of learning into two aspects. To generalize that argument, we cannot be satisfied with providing only for ourselves and our immediate families. There are higher bonds than this in human nature. Therefore we must enter into communities of social life, and work for the good of society according to our capacity as one of its members. And we must elevate our ambition to pursue learning. Even cooking rice and lighting the fire under the bath are kinds of learning. Discourse on the affairs of state is another. Still, management of a single household is easier than the economics of the whole nation.
As a rule, things which are easy to obtain are not highly valued in society. The reason why some things are valuable is that they are not easily obtainable. It seems to me that present-day scholars exhibit the vice of avoiding the difficult in favor of the easy path. In the feudal world, no matter how accomplished some scholars might have been, there was no way of putting their learning into practice, for the economy was rigid everywhere. Therefore, they were compelled to pursue more and more advanced learning. Their style of learning may not have been good, but their diligence and broad knowledge were superior to that of the scholars of today. Today’s scholars are different. They can cash in quickly on what they know. For example, if a scholar of Western Learning studies for three years, he acquires a general sort of knowledge of history and physics, sufficient to open up a school as a scholar of Western Learning, to be hired by others to teach, or be given some important post in the government. And there is an even easier path than these. If they read the current popular translations, or race off to learn the latest news in society, both domestic and foreign, and then grasp the opportunity to become government officials, they become prestigious public servants! If such customs become the rule, learning will ultimately not advance to a high level.
I know that I should not write about vulgar things to scholars, but let me give an example in terms of money management. For one to study in a school, his expenses will not exceed one hundred yen a year. Thus if he invests three hundred yen for three years to get training as a scholar of Western Learning, he can later gain a profit of fifty or seventy yen per month. Since a person who just learns by experience, and then becomes a government official does not even make this three hundred yen investment, his monthly gain will all be net profit. Is there such great profit in the business world? Even a usurer cannot compete with this rate of gain. Of course, since the price of things depends on supply and demand, and nowadays the government and all other quarters are clamoring for such scholars of Western Learning, this favorable business climate has resulted. Therefore we cannot positively brand these men as crafty businessmen. Nor are we criticizing those who hire them as fools. But, in my opinion, if these men were truly made to work at practical learning through three to five additional years of grueling studies, and only thereafter given appointments, they might achieve something very fine. And only by elevating the intellectual and moral levels of the whole nation in this exacting way will we reach the point of being able to compete with the civilizations of various Western countries.
What, then, should be the goals of scholars today? Does it not lie in seeking the great principles of freedom and independence and in reviving the rights of self-autonomy and freedom? And freedom and independence already entail responsibilities. Independence does not consist exclusively in dwelling in one’s own house and not depending on others for food and clothes. This is merely a domestic responsibility. We can be said to have fulfilled both our internal and external obligations only if we do not bring disgrace upon the name of Japanese citizens, and if we strive together with our countrymen to secure the free and independent status of Japan as a world nation. Therefore, a person who barely provides for his own food and clothing within his own house may be called the independent master of his own house, but not an independent Japanese citizen.
Look around! When we survey the contemporary scene, we see the external traces of civilization, but not its inner substance. There are the outward forms, but not the inner spirit. Can we now pit our army and navy against the arms of the West? No way! Can we now teach the West with our techniques of scholarship? We have nothing to teach them. On the contrary, we must learn these things from abroad, fearing only that we have not yet reached their levels. We send students abroad, but when it comes to hiring teachers in Japan, they are generally all foreigners, from government offices and schools down to the prefectures and the ports. Even private companies and schools, when they plan some new undertaking, must first hire foreigners and rely on them at the cost of excessive salaries. People say that Japan is just using their talents to make up for our deficiencies. But if we look at present conditions, it seems that the deficiencies are all on our side, and the talents all on theirs.
Of course, since we have just suddenly begun intercourse with the civilized nations after several hundred years of national seclusion, our situation is like mixing fire and water. To balance this relationship, foreign teachers and goods are being imported to make up for present urgent needs and calm down the seething turmoil. Since it is unavoidable anyhow, dependence on these temporary supplies cannot be said to be an error for Japan.
Nevertheless, meeting the needs of Japan by depending on the West is only a temporary policy. While we may comfort ourselves that it is a temporary expediency, when will this come to an end? How will methods be acquired so that we will be independent of the West and can supply our own needs? They will be extremely hard to come by.
Our only recourse is to wait for the achievements of today’s scholars to reach a point where they can meet Japan’s needs. Since this is the duty imposed upon us scholars it is high time to take on this urgent responsibility. In the short run the foreigners employed within Japan must retain their posts as substitutes until our own scholars are mature. Foreign goods must also be temporarily imported in exchange for cash until Japan’s own industries are sufficiently developed. The funds spent to import men and goods from abroad is money lost to the foreigners since Japanese scholarship is not yet on a par with theirs. We should regret this for the sake of the nation, and as scholars we should have a sense of shame. But, as persons, we can still have high hopes for the future. Without hopes, nothing can be accomplished in life. We should therefore comfort ourselves during the present misfortune by looking to tomorrow’s potential blessings. We must endure this year’s suffering by looking to next year’s happiness.
In former times, all the areas of life were constrained by the ancient system, so that even a scholar with a will had no scope to fulfill his ambitions. Today it is different. Now that restrictions have been removed, a new world is opening up before scholars. There is no area in society to which we cannot devote our energies. There are hundreds of things to be done—farming, business, scholarship, government life, writing books, writing for newspapers, giving lectures on law, developing the techniques of learning and arts, starting up industries, opening the Diet chambers, etc. Moreover, our motive need not be mutual struggle between brothers, but intellectual competition with the West. If we are victorious in this battle, Japan’s position will be enhanced; if vanquished, her prestige will decline. Our hopes must be high, and our aims clear. Of course, the priorities of the affairs of the nation will vary with conditions. But from now on people must begin to use their talents to study the absolutely indispensable things. People who realize their social obligations to any degree must not stand by as indifferent onlookers in today’s world. We scholars must especially apply all efforts.
Given this perspective, we scholars can hardly be satisfied with elementary and secondary school education. We must elevate our sights to appreciate the true worth of learning. We must be autonomous and independent. If we have no friends of kindred minds, we should cultivate our spirit alone to preserve Japan, and thereby devote our efforts for the sake of society. I do not cherish the fact that old-style scholars of Japanese and Chinese Learning know how to govern others, but not how to govern themselves. Precisely because I do not, I advocated the doctrine of the equal rights of man from the beginning of this work, and have been discussing the position that persons must take responsibility for their own affairs, and the importance of relying on their own power. But in regard to this matter of providing for oneself, I have not exhausted this topic of the significance of learning. If you have a dissolute and profligate youth, what kind of discipline would you employ to control him? To make a man out of him, his drinking and playboy life must first be prohibited before he can be given a post of any importance. But we cannot call it virtue simply because he has put off these vices. He has stopped doing harm to society, but he is still a useless fellow. Only after stopping these vices, taking on some job, cultivating his person, and bringing profit to his household can he be called an average fellow.
The same argument applies to providing only for oneself. Persons from the samurai families and above have been accustomed to the old ways for thousands of years. They do not know the value of clothing and food. Having no idea of how wealth is acquired, they haughtily, and without efforts on their own part, are well provided for, and they think that it is their natural privilege as well. Their condition is generally like the dissolute son. What can I say to such people? I can only advocate my doctrine of providing for oneself to shake them out of their drunken dreams. Should I try to exhort them to pursue learning of a high level? Should I explain to them the great principle of contributing to society? Even if I tried to, since it would enter within their knowledge in their present dream-like state, it would only be a dream within a dream. This is the reason why I chiefly advocate the doctrine of providing for oneself, and do not urge true learning on them.
Accordingly, this doctrine of mine was aimed mainly at those who lead lives of idleness. It was not an admonition to scholars. But I hear that among my old friends in Nakatsu, some persons who pursued a career of learning have gone only halfway and then given it up to make their livelihood. Making a livelihood must also not be belittled, of course. I can approve of the fact that they are deciding their future course of life on the basis of their own talents. But I fear that if people imitate such customs and only compete for livelihood, their fine promise as brilliant youths will fail to bear full fruit. This is regrettable for both the boys and the nation as well. Livelihood is difficult to come by, but if they plan the management of their households well, it is better to expend their efforts, and be frugal, while looking for an opportunity for great accomplishment, than to earn money quickly to buy minor happiness. If they pursue careers as scholars, they must study to the utmost. If they become merchants or farmers, let them be great ones; similarly, if they become scholars, let them not be satisfied with small achievements. Let them not be deterred by heat or cold, by coarse clothes and poor foods; let them pound rice and cut wood—they can pursue learning even as they pound rice! Moreover, their foods are not limited to Western-style menus. Let them pursue the matters of civilization while they eat boiled barley and drink miso soup!
