Advice for Learning - Advice for Learning

This is the most famous book of enlightenment written by Fukuzawa Yukichi in the early Meiji period. The first volume was published in 1872 (Meiji 5), but it was so well-received that it was made into a series, which continued until the 17th volume was published in 1876. It is said that the total number of copies published was 3.4 million, making it a best-seller at the time. The declaration of human equality at the beginning of the first volume, "It is said that heaven creates no man above another, nor below another," is well-known, but Fukuzawa used this book to criticize the feudal spirit of servility, teach "independence for oneself and independence for one's country," and to that end, preach that "practical learning close to ordinary human daily use" should be learned from the West. This book marks the beginning of Japan's modern, rationalistic view of humanity, society, and learning, but it has also been criticized for creating discrimination based on learning.

[Masaki Hirota]

"Lectures on the Encouragement of Learning" by Masao Ito (1968, Kazama Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福沢諭吉が著した明治初期のもっとも有名な啓蒙(けいもう)書。初編は1872年（明治5）刊行されたが、非常な評判をとったのでシリーズ化し、76年刊の第17編まで続いた。発行部数あわせて340万といわれ、当時のベストセラー。初編冒頭の人間平等宣言、「天は人の上に人を造らず人の下に人を造らずと云へり」はあまりに有名だが、福沢はこの書によって封建卑屈の精神を批判し、「一身独立して一国独立する」ことを教え、そのために「人間普通日用に近き実学」を西洋から学ぶべきだと説いた。日本における近代的、合理主義的な人間観、社会観、学問観の出発を示す書であるが、学問による差別を生んだという批判もある。

［広田昌希］

『伊藤正雄著『「学問のすゝめ」講説』（1968・風間書房）』

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