have reached the worst yet. I think we can not experience such radical changes in civilization until the worst comes.
Then how should the reform be done? For example, in the Edo period a completely new cultural system never appeared from scratch. Some of the systems existed in other countries or had existed in the past were selected and adopted to reform our civilization at that time. In addition, there is a not insignificant, but very close relationship between cultural reform and economic reform. Violent colonial policy and slavery also hinder reform, as shown in the precedents.
Various social circumstances affect cultural reform.
Therefore, we must be prepared for a more momentous crisis before we experience momentous changes in civilization in the future.
Second, I will answer the question regarding how to decide a new direction for civilization. In the Edo period, Chinese culture was mainly adopted to reform the civilization; at the same time western culture, which was quite different from that of China, was also adopted and many scholars questioned Chinese ways in various aspects. Moreover, there was another culture that was different from Chinese or Western cultures. They have existed since then for a long time. In other words, during the Edo period, there existed three civilizations that have three ways or aesthetic senses such as the Chinese way, Western way, and another different way.
Their existence was not absolute but relative, because they challenged one another all the time, Therefore, al the beginning of the Meiji period Western culture was not suddenly introduced but it was selected as a new direction of our civilization out of three coexisting cultures. I think that we should continue to keep the relative balance of these three or more cultures from now on.
Third, I will present my view regarding the imbalance between culture and information, and the predominance of English over other languages. From the historical point of view, it can be certainly said that the balance between culture and information is being recovered rapidly especially today.
As for languages, although it seems that English has become widespread predominantly all over the world, various other languages are also being spread rapidly today. With regard to English, we must be careful in using it so as not to be too much affected by English culture, its way of thinking, and its sense of values.
｡?AOKI
I was very much stimulated by the various problems presented today. It is true that basically each Asian nation has several identities. For example, I said that Japan has four types of cultures, or four flows of cultural history: 1) the Japanese ancient native culture which is manifested as Shinto or the like; 2) the influence of universal Asian civilizations, such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, which is exerted upon the Japanese social system; 3) the impact of modern Western civilization; 4) the culture of the postwar generation. It can be said that a new culture is being created in Japan by absorbing these four types of cultures as shown in the present age. Such cultural circumstances are seen not only in Japan but also in Korea, India, China, and South- East Asian countries. No nations consist of only one racial group with one culture. Each of us lives in a mixture of approximately four types of cultures. In this sense, it is necessary to approve multiple identities. However, the mixed sat of four types of cultures varies according to countries or communities.
Although Dr. Kawakatsu said that we must create an attractive culture, I think that this information-oriented age is not the age when only one culture is admired by everyone. For example, we long for various types of cultures: nature, the magnificent heritage of ancient civilizations, curried food in India; the marvelous pottery and chinaware. Buddhist temples, and grilled beef and chili in Korea; Chinese culture; as well as Indonesian culture.
In this symposium I found that in this age of the globalization in Asia or any part of the world, it is necessary to establish the common principle, based on which we can judge social problems such as corruption cases, because there are many kinds of opinions on them and various measures are taken against them in each country. We cannot establish such a principle only by learning modern Western culture. Scientific technology is important and promising, but it cannot control its products, including pollution and atomic bombs. I think that culture, ethics, and morals will play vital roles in controlling these problems. We must not ignore the fact that urbanization and modernization have caused massacres owing to hatred that is a very primitive feeling of people, or to religious differences. As mentioned above, such problems were presented at this second session this afternoon, which will also be reflected in tomorrow discussions.
