International Forum on the Wisdom of Humanity Held in Kyoto
In celebration of the establishment of Kyoto as Japan's capital in 794, various events are being held throughout the city in this, the 1,200 th anniversary. One of the main events, the "International Forum on the Wisdom of Humanity" opened at the Kyoto International Conference Hall here, on June 8, 1994. Seven distinguished foreign guests, acknowledged as leaders in their respective fields, were introduced to the assembled audience of more than 1,500 spectators, as the conference opened under the theme of "Human, Civilization and the Earth."
Ken'ichi Fukui, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry and Chairman of the Heiankyo 1,200th Anniversary Memorial Foundation, spoke of the overemphasis on human benefit in the advancement of scientific knowledge that has led to the destruction of the earth's ecosystems. Professor Fukui asked what the choices for mankind are as it approaches the 21st century with a myriad of problems, and hopes that the "International Forum on the Wisdom of Humanity" might come some of the way toward solving those problems. The governor of Kyoto Prefecture, Teiichi Aramaki, expressed his deepest thanks to the distinguished visitors. He explained that ever since its establishment, based on a Chinese model, Kyoto's cultural and material prosperity has depended on wisdom gleaned from abroad, particularly from Korea and China, in what he described as "a prosperous amalgamation of international culture." He added that one hundred years ago, when Kyoto residents celebrated the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the nation's capital in Kyoto, the atmosphere was one of uncertainly. Residents were uncertain of how to found an industrial base, as they struggled to bring water to the city from neighboring Lake Biwa. The Kyoto of today must also look to future prosperity, he added, hoping that the current forum would help to maintain the "honorable status" of Kyoto in the global community. Koichi Tsukamoto, President of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gave a speech of welcome, expressing his hope that a New World Order will bring peace and wisdom for mankind.
Keynote Address "Wisdom and Kyoto"
By Tokindo Okada, Director of the Biohistory Research Hall
This year marks the 1,200th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto as Japan's ancient capital. To celebrate the anniversary, a variety of unique events are being presented by various administrative organizations, as well as, business and academic circles. Among these, the International Forum on the Wisdom of Humanity has special significance.
The theme of the forum is "Wisdom." The forum aims to present a discussion of "potential wisdom" that can help provide guiding principles for the global environment and life in the 21st century. This theme is of course relevant not only to Kyoto but to all regions of the world. It is most appropriate that this conference be held in Kyoto. Kyoto's history is one filled with irony. Although its old name "Heian" means peace and security, the city's history is one of incessant wars. As a result of the curious co-existence between two contradictory elements, interesting by-products appeared. They were the "Creation of Beauty" and "Wisdom," the two most virtuous evidences of life we can possibly have. These two virtues have found their place in Kyoto. The aim of this conference is to exercise "Wisdom" in determining the future of humanity and our planet Earth. Of course, this aim cannot be expected to be achieved in the two days of the conference. Nevertheless, this conference can be a significant one by raising the issue of "Wise Judgement" regarding the future of mankind and the Earth and by enhancing awareness of the issues involved.
Debates Under the Theme "Mankind, Civilization and Earth"
Following the opening ceremonies and keynote address by Tokindo Okada, debates between the seven foreign guests took place. Under the unified theme of "Mankind, Civilization, and the Earth," debates concerning the future of the human race, the earth, and the existence of civilization, took place until the early evening.
Sir Edward Heath
Former British Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, the first British leader to visit Japan, explained that Britain has had close links with Japan since the earliest days of this century, but it was seventy years before a British prime minister actually managed to visit. Sir Edward said that wisdom is the fruit of experience, and therefore it is incumbent upon us to gain experience wherever we can, whenever we can. Wisdom and experience, he reasoned, generally come from age. This, he emphasized, is not meant to be offensive to the young, who often provide the impetus and energy to create new ideas to solve old problems. Instead, he stressed, it is man's nature to make mistakes, and learn from them, as time passed. Sir Edward then went to explain how, with the collapse of the Soviet empire, many observers expected to see a peaceful New World Order established. "Very quickly," he maintained, "we were proved wrong. Instead we found a New World Disorder, and strife. "The former prime minister then went on to explain why this happened. The former superpower stand-off, he explained, provided a rigid role for the rest of the world to follow. However, now, with one superpower gone, many nations feel liberated, and thereby free to pursue activities that have no place to a peaceful world. Sir Edward then went on to say that what is needed is a reconstruction of the United Nations. The world body, he argued, is wholly inadequate to deal with the world's problems. The new century will see a world dominated by five powers, he said: the USA, Russia, China, Japan and the European Union. Given that this will be the pattern for the next century, we must carefully consider what kind of relationship these countries will have with each other, he said. Pondering the question of man's inhumanity to man, Sir Edward asked, "Why do human beings do these things to human beings?," referring to recent events in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. He expressed his belief that there is "a great educational job to be done" in getting the nations of the world to accept and understand each others' religious beliefs. He closed by saying that he hoped the remarkable developments in telecommunications might help the world to live peacefully in the future.
Prof. ILya Prigogine
Ilya Prigogine, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1977 and the world's leading authority on thermodynamics began his scientific career by disputing the idea that time flows linearly from the past, through the present, to the future. He first came to Japan 41 years ago, where he was not only impressed with Japan's great artistic creativity, but also its excellence in the science. Professor Prigogine asked how we can promote mutual understanding between cultures in a world torn by dissolution and strife. The outlook is not all bad, he emphasized, citing the case of France and Germany who have fought three wars in recent history, but who are now allied in the European Union. Prof. Prigogine explained his belief that world is currently approaching a "bifurcation," a moment in time where small causes combine to produce large effects, resulting in huge disturbances. This phenomenon, he argued, is found not only in societies, but also in nature. The Professor went on to argue that the age of the opposition between man and nature is over, and that as science adopts new perceptions of the nature of time, scientists are beginning to turn against traditional Western ideas of dualism. He expressed the hope that a time will yet come when "we may reach a world in which there is a place for reason and peace."
Ernest Gellner
Ernest Gellner asked the question, "What is the meaning of this century?" The 19th century exemplified progress. With European domination there was a strong belief in progress. Unfortunately, the meaning of progress was not fully understood. The 20th century had a better understanding of progress. European domination changed and the belief in progress was shattered with the onset of the First World War. With Europe no longer dominant a new industrial scientific orders was created. He concluded by saying that this new industrial scientific order is not run best by those who invented it, but by those who are isolated from it but are using it in their own way.
Perez Esquivel
Following Gellner's comments, Perez Esquivel commented on wisdom and the future. He says, "The future is created by ourselves." The concept of wisdom is understanding and knowledge. Wisdom presides in the everyday person. Much can be learned about the meaning of life and what is meant to be human by the indigenous people, such as farmers. Through solidarity of the people we can pave a path for the future. Science and technology should support the people, it should not control them. There should be freedom and liberty of educators. Through education we can nurture man's understanding of freedom and liberty. In conclusion he says, that the future is base on today and will effect generations to come.
Chen-Ning Yang
Chen-Ning Yang, a physicist active in the United States and in China, reflected on the history of mankind and its well-being. Since the birth of modern science, about the 17th century, the majority of mankind has been prosperous and has enjoyed the power to manipulate nature to its advantage. Unfortunately, with this prosperity and power brings danger. The trend is accelerating at an alarming rate. There will be profound changes in the world in the next 1,200 years. The key words for the next 1,200 years will be promise and danger. What science will give to mankind will quadruple, but the problems will also increase exponentially.
Marvin Minsky
Marvin Minsky discussed his views of what was important in the 20 th century. He discussed over-population and psychology as two very important areas in the 20th century. Although over-population is a fact that many do not want to face, it is a growing problem and one that will have to be dealt with. The problem is not in technology but that technology helped to make too many people. Psychology is the beginning of understanding the human mind. Wisdom is something that will come about in the next century. We must make the brain better by attaching circuits. Through technology, not education, will we be able to improve the brain.
Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Taiwan's noted film director, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, said that he felt a sense of pessimism regarding the future, but that "the future will come anyway, without invitation." Film, he argued, is a form of memory, and explained that it is his duty to observe and record, trying all the while to enhance our understanding of the world by increasing our understanding of ourselves.
Discussion: Guiding Principles of the 21st Century
On the second day of the forum, the seven foreign guests met with domestic scholars in respect to their specific emphasis on the guiding principles of the 21st century. Below is a brief summary of the main points discussed during each session.
Ernest Gellner
Ernest Gellner explained that the two principles of legitimacy operative in the modern world are economic growth and nationalism. He explained that regimes that satisfy these two requirements are safe, and regimes which fail to satisfy them are in trouble. Although the two principles are logically independent on each other - a society can be prosperous and yet violate the demands of nationalism and vice versa - they are not independent historically. On the contrary, they are intimately connected. Nationalism is a consequence of modern, growth-oriented social and economic organization.
Perez Esquivel
Perez Esquivel said that the most controversial issue of today would be the relationship between man's dignity and development viewed from the point of human rights. He also noted that the worth of man's dignity had no alternative, and the dignity itself was essentially the consciousness of freedom in each person's mind. Human dignity, he said, would be rooted in the minds of appreciating each person. He concluded by saying that people would keep going toward a society of fairness and brotherly love as far as they could maintain their dignity and protect freedom indispensable to that maintenance.
Chen-Ning Yang
Chen-Ning Yang made remarks regarding the concept of the laws of nature, especially in traditional China. He then described the birth of modern science. While outlining significant events in the development of physics in the last centuries, he emphasized the emergence of the concept of symmetry as a central theme in contemporary physics, together with its original place in ancient philosophies of the east and west. He then discussed the relationship between science, technology and society both for the 20th and the 21st century.
Sir Edward Heath
Edward Heath discussed the importance of a united Europe. After briefly explaining the history of the European Union (EU), he went on to discuss the present status of the EU and its future in a global context. The ultimate desire of the EU would be to extend across the whole of Europe. Already efforts are being made to make this a reality. Although there are economic differences that still separate the EU member states from the East European countries, the EU can take steps to help these nations. He then discussed the need for the EU to have a single currency as well as a coherent European foreign policy. In conclusion, Heath discussed Europe's importance in the next century as one of the five dominant powers and, in order for the EU to effectively promote its interests, it must succeed in acting with one voice.
Marvin Minsky
Marvin Minsky discussed the role of computers in the future of humanity, in relation to health, wealth and wisdom. Although each is a separate goal in itself, they will become related due to future advances in the technology of computers. Computers of the future will become part of us, and we will become part of them. His lecture was divided into three sections - Health and Longevity, Wealth and Nanotechnology, and Wisdom and Artificial Intelligence. Advances in technology will increase longevity. The longer we live the more we can learn. The more we learn about the brain, the more ways we will find to improve it. Little by little, we will change ourselves until we are free from biological deterioration.
Prof. Ilya Prigogine
Ilya Prigogine discussed the contrast in the concept of nature as conceived in eastern and western tradition. In the Chinese tradition, nature is "that which is by itself." In contrast, western science is based on "laws" of nature. He then said the dichotomy between eastern and western concepts of nature are reflected in the role of time. In western science, the fundamental element is space, and that time at irreversibility is an "illusion," while in the eastern view, time plays a dominant role. He noted, however, that western science is undergoing a major change and described some of the basic steps in which it is going about this change. In conclusion, he said the western view of nature has led to dualism, while the eastern tradition emphasized the basic unity of nature. Recent developments show that dualism can be overcome and a new concept of nature is emerging, acceptable both to eastern and western traditions.
Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Hou Hsiao-Hsien noted that the future, in his terms, was the present including the past, and issues that could have happened in the past were continued to be thought over again and again. He continued by saving that once going back to the basics of movie making, imagination would be more spacy for the simplicity of film making. He also noticed that the idea of handmade movie making, compared with the powerful "Hollywood" system, would allow people to regard filming as a kind of literary profession, and therefore could be a creative thinking to become inherent in man's intelligence.
Heian-kyo's 1,200th Anniversary
The year was 794. The Imperial geomancers had at last returned and with good news, for after a long search they had succeeded in locating a site which possessed all the physical attributes necessary for the establishment of a trouble-free capital. Without delay Emperor Kanmu set about founding Heian-kyo, Capital of Peace and Tranquility. Kanmu's geomancers must have done their job well, for the spot they chose was destined to become the stage for Japan's first golden age and one of the truly original cultural epochs in world history, the Heian Period. The new capital would witness the birth of a unique artistic sensibility, one that would forever establish Kyoto (as the capital would come to be called) as the cultural heart and soul of the nation.
Now, 1,200 tears after its founding, the government and citizens of Kyoto are celebrating the rich legacy bequeathed by Heian and succeeding epochs through a series of events ranging from museum exhibitions and special temple openings to concerts, conferences, and street fairs. In addition to playing homage to its venerable history, the city will also be making use of this milestone to prepare for the next century; it will embark on more than 20 major building projects, including a new JR terminal building. In the course of its millennium-plus history, Kyoto has been ravaged by wars, earthquakes and fires, but has always sprung back. Now, in what is perhaps its biggest challenge to date, an increasingly urbanized Kyoto must find a way to transmit its spirit intact to future generations. That concern and a possible solution is implicit in the theme of the 1,200th Anniversary Celebration, "Tradition and Creativity." In addition to this year's special anniversary-related events, the city's inhabitants will, as usual, be quietly observing the annual cycle of religious and secular events that have been handed down from generation to generation. At the city's side streets are explored, the visitor should also keep an eye open for these less-advertised, but equally significant events:
■ Top ■ Index ■ First
|
