| Yukichi Fukuzawa established Keio University in
1858, in the closing days of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Fukuzawa wrote of
the period of dramatic change that followed leading to the Meiji
Restoration, "We have lived two lives, as it were; we unite in
ourselves two completely different patterns of experience" (An Outline
of a Theory of Civilization). Today, it seems that we too are in a
whirlpool of great change. The world economic structure has been
changing since the global financial crisis. There are also long term
changes to the structure of our society through the aging population.
When this year's freshmen were born around 1990, over ten percent of
the population were over 65 years old. That figure is now over 20
percent. When these same students retire from work, over 40 percent of
the population will be over 65 years old. Our society is going to be
significantly different.
In such periods of major transition, preconceived ideas and
old-fashioned thinking have little relevance. Instead, it is becoming
increasingly important to have the ability to think for oneself. This
means being able to properly understand new situations and determine
the right course of action. This is what Fukuzawa called the spirit
of practical learningE Practical learning includes the natural
sciences, humanities and social sciences and is activities which can
be scientifically proven. In his book Keio Gijuku Kiji (Twenty Five
Years of Keio Gijuku), Fukuzawa wrote the pronunciation of the
Japanese character for practical learning (jitsugaku) as science (saiyansu).
In science, we first identify a problem, then we formulate a
hypothesis to explain the problem, then we test the hypothesis and
draw a conclusion. It is through such empirical knowledge that we can
understand what the real truthEis. This knowledge also enables us to
find solutions to problems.
In a time of great change, it is of utmost importance that we
cultivate people who have the ability to think on their own; the basis
for which is the advancement of knowledge and Fukuzawa's 'spirit of
practical learning' Keio University is striving to achieve this goal
through enhancing the quality of its education, research and medicine.
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