Fukuzawa's Impact On World History
Pr.William Pettigrew
ISC 268 A-World History
Go Mitsuhashi
30/7/2009
Fukuzawa’s Positive and Negative Impact on Modern Japan and World History in 18th to 19th Century
According to the world history, historical significant events has taken places all over the world, and it can be said that the events are closely related to each other and it links to the emergence of next significant event in the coming generation. For example, with great adventurous mind, Vasco de Gama has set off the Age of Discovery which resulted in the globalization in Europe. This era resulted in colonization and invasion of countries, and some people like Napoleon Bonaparte and Cortes tried to change the tide of the period by using the great force and reformation …show more content…
Due to its geographical location and Japanese feudal policy of closing ports, Japanese economic growth and living standard was not as high as other countries, but on the other hand Japan could avoid from other countries’ invasion, so it could develop its distinct culture and tradition. However Japan’s closed society soon came to the end when America’s vessels arrived in Shimonoseki, Uraga and Edo Bay to open the port with the fire power, which resulted in signing trade treaty with America, and later with Russia, Netherland and France in 1854. Because of this event, many people started to doubt Tokugawa Shogunate’s superior power, and as a result, prefects such as Choushuu and Satsuma rose in rebellion against Tokugawa Shogunnate and made the last Tokugawa Shogun, Yoshinobu Tokugawa return the political power to the Imperial court in 1867. Like this, Tokugawa Shogunate which went for 260 years ended, and new era of ‘Meiji’ started under the Imperial …show more content…
This means that if individuals had personal strength to not depend on others, Japan herself would automatically become independent and strong country, “[i]independence means to manage one’s own personal affairs and not to have a mind to depend on others…Japan must be filled with the spirit of independence if we are to defend her against foreign threats”(Havens, 16-17).To achieve this goal, Fukuzawa believed that education and equality was the key to the independence of Japan. In Tokugawa era, distinction of the rank which went by in the order of nobles, samurais, farmers and merchants existed, thus social hierarchy was rooted in the society. Therefore, people in the lower class had always been discriminated and restricted by strict laws of feudalism, such as if one was born in the house of farmer, one was never allowed to change its occupation and had no access to the educational institute. However, in 18th century when Fukuzawa had experience the new wave of reformation and the Enlightenment in America where he visited to, he realized that Tokugawa’s feudalism was not the way to unite the nation as one, and move forward into the future. In “An Encouragement of Learning” he promoted the education and equality of human being was the key to make the
ISC 268 A-World History
Go Mitsuhashi
30/7/2009
Fukuzawa’s Positive and Negative Impact on Modern Japan and World History in 18th to 19th Century
According to the world history, historical significant events has taken places all over the world, and it can be said that the events are closely related to each other and it links to the emergence of next significant event in the coming generation. For example, with great adventurous mind, Vasco de Gama has set off the Age of Discovery which resulted in the globalization in Europe. This era resulted in colonization and invasion of countries, and some people like Napoleon Bonaparte and Cortes tried to change the tide of the period by using the great force and reformation …show more content…
Due to its geographical location and Japanese feudal policy of closing ports, Japanese economic growth and living standard was not as high as other countries, but on the other hand Japan could avoid from other countries’ invasion, so it could develop its distinct culture and tradition. However Japan’s closed society soon came to the end when America’s vessels arrived in Shimonoseki, Uraga and Edo Bay to open the port with the fire power, which resulted in signing trade treaty with America, and later with Russia, Netherland and France in 1854. Because of this event, many people started to doubt Tokugawa Shogunate’s superior power, and as a result, prefects such as Choushuu and Satsuma rose in rebellion against Tokugawa Shogunnate and made the last Tokugawa Shogun, Yoshinobu Tokugawa return the political power to the Imperial court in 1867. Like this, Tokugawa Shogunate which went for 260 years ended, and new era of ‘Meiji’ started under the Imperial …show more content…
This means that if individuals had personal strength to not depend on others, Japan herself would automatically become independent and strong country, “[i]independence means to manage one’s own personal affairs and not to have a mind to depend on others…Japan must be filled with the spirit of independence if we are to defend her against foreign threats”(Havens, 16-17).To achieve this goal, Fukuzawa believed that education and equality was the key to the independence of Japan. In Tokugawa era, distinction of the rank which went by in the order of nobles, samurais, farmers and merchants existed, thus social hierarchy was rooted in the society. Therefore, people in the lower class had always been discriminated and restricted by strict laws of feudalism, such as if one was born in the house of farmer, one was never allowed to change its occupation and had no access to the educational institute. However, in 18th century when Fukuzawa had experience the new wave of reformation and the Enlightenment in America where he visited to, he realized that Tokugawa’s feudalism was not the way to unite the nation as one, and move forward into the future. In “An Encouragement of Learning” he promoted the education and equality of human being was the key to make the