Fukuzawa Yukichi and the role of Western studies intelectuals in Meiji society

Abstract

Gakumon no susume is one of the main works by Fukuzawa Yukichi (1834-1901) and one of the most important on education in Japanese society. A compendium of writings on education and individuality, in its fourth volume, Fukuzawa Yukichi posits that Western studies intellectuals should focus their efforts on the modernization of Japan outside the official realms of the Meiji government, devoting themselves to the private field. Katô Hiroyuki, Mori Arinori, Tsuda Mamichi and Nishi Amane, however, defend that such individuals should dedicate themselves to the civilizational advancement at the position they prefer. In this article, we intend to show how the fourth volume of the work served as the basis for the discussions figured in the articles of the second volume of Meiroku magazine in relation to the posture of Japanese scholars of Western studies regarding Fukuzawa Yukichi’s statements and how these five texts present certain divergences of thoughts and ideas among the five intellectuals of the Meiroku Society.