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GISPRI No. 12, 1995

GISPRI Activities

GISPRI Symposium '94:
"Civilization in the 21st Century and
the Global System"


On November 30, 1994, the international symposium, "Civilization in the 21st Century and the Global System," was held by the Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute (GISPRI) at the International Conference Hall of the United Nations University in Aoyama, Tokyo, with the support of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). This symposium was planned based upon the content of work of this institute's study group for "study on the framework for civilizations and national states in the 21st century." The symposium was held with the aim of searching for arrangements, methodology, and international rules for achieving cooperation and harmony, rather than conflicts, in the rapidly developing region of Asia, from the perspective of thinking about a new world system in the post-Cold War period. The specific focus was placed upon the world of Islam and China which are likely to exert a big impact in the world, as one of the unstable elements in the global system, to find approaches for cooperation and harmony through discussions among researchers from both Japan and overseas.

Speaking at this symposium were five specialists from overseas including Gilbert Rozman (Princeton University), and ten from Japan including Shozaburo Kimura (Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo) or a total of 15 top level researchers. The members are listed in the program below. With Hatsuhisa Takashima (Chief Commentator of NHK) serving as the overall facilitator, speeches and panel discussions with a very rich content were carried out.

On this day, about 240 participants from the research organizations, corporations, and universities connected with the GISPRI, as well as from the general public, attended the symposium. To open the symposium, Senior Advisor Shinji Fukukawa of GISPRI gave a greeting message on behalf of the sponsor. The symposium program consisted of three parts: "The Impact of Islam," "The Impact of China," and "The Role of Asia," in that order. With such a rich and extensive content for one-day symposium, with the speedy facilitating of Mr. Takashima (the overall MC) and efforts of the speakers, the program ended roughly within the set time- frame. Given the limited time, not all the opinions could be fully expressed, but members of the audience gave a high evaluation for the timing and content of this symposium, especially given the lack of transparency in the post Cold War world. Also, the content of the program was recorded and parts were broadcast on NHK's educational channel in late January. Below, we will introduce the main content of the symposium.


Program of Symposium

(honorifics omitted)
Overall MC: Hatsuhisa Takashima
10:00
Opening Address:
       Shinji Fukukawa (Senior Advisor, GISPRI)
10:10 Keynote Address:
Shozaburo Kimura
(Professor Emeritus, The University of                            Tokyo)
10:30 Session-I
"Impact of Islamic Power on the Global System in the                      21st Century"
? Presenter:
   Masayuki Yamauchi
(Professor, The University of                            Tokyo)
   ? Commentator:
Hassan Hanafi
(Professor, Department of Philosophy,                            University of Cairo)
  ? Panelists:
Motoshige Itoh
(Professor, Department of Economics,                            The University of Tokyo)
     James Piscatori (Professor, Department of International                            Politics, University of Wales)
    Hisashi Yoshikawa (Director for International Petroleum                            Affairs, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy)
12:35 Lunch Break
13:35 Session-II
"Impact of China, which is in transition to the socialistic                          market economy, on the Global System"
? Presenters:
Satoshi Amako
(Professor, Department of International                            Politics and Economics, Aoyama Gakuin University)
       Gilbert Rozman (Professor, Princeton University)
    ? Commentator:
Fan Yong Ming
(Director, Development Research Dept.,                            Shanghai Pudong Development Bank)
    ? Panelists
Nobuyuki Kaji
(Professor, Department of Literature,                            Osaka University)
Ryuichiro Matsubara (Associate Professor, Department of                            Liberal Arts, The University of Tokyo)
15:25 Coffee Break
15:40 Session-III
"Roles of non-Western civilizational areas, in particular                       the Asian region, in building the Global System"
? Presenters:
      Shin'ichi Kitaoka (Professor, Department of Law, Rikkyo                            University)
      Saneh Chamarik (President, Thai Local Development                            Institute)
   ? Commentator:
  James Piscatori
(See above.)
   ? Panelists:
Youichiro Ichioka
(Chief, Editorial Board, Nihon Keizai                            Shimbun, Inc.)
    Shinji Fukukawa (See above.)
    Gilbert Rozman (See above.)
18:15 Concluding Remarks:
Hatsuhisa Takashima
(See above.)
18:30 Closing Remarks:
Katsuo Seiki
(Executive Director, GISPRI)
18:40
End of the Symposium


[Keynote Address]
"Civilization in the 21st Century and the Global System"

Shozaburo Kimura
Prof. Emeritus, The University of Tokyo

As the world moves toward the 21st century, the global political and economic order is likely to undergo reorganization. We are now feeling the birth pangs accompanying that process. The core technologies related to iron & steel, electrical power, oil, etc., that sustained the modern technical civilization from the late 19th century has entered the stage of maturity, and it will take another 30 years before the new core technology can develop to sustain the progress in the 21st century. That is, we are placed in the predicament of "a deadlock due to exhaustion of our stock of wisdom." The era of modernity characterized by the spirit of independence and self-reliance and faith in the future progress and development, which began in the 19th century, has now come to end.

On the other hand, maturing of the technological civilization bring about expansion of the sense of space and sense of communication. This is similar to the situation 500 years ago when the adventurers such as Columbus sought to escape from the closed social situation characterized by stagnant agricultural technology and the end of cultivation of new lands by opening up the "Era of Great Voyage and Exploration" in search of new lands. With the increased interchange within regions, modern nations-states were formed first as "regional federations." The situation today is somewhat similar. For we are in the second era of Great Voyage and the second era of regional federations. We can see such a direction in the development of EU (European Union) and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Association), and in Asia, too, it is likely that a third federated body of states is likely to emerge in the next dozen or so years, centered around ASEAN and Chinese economic zone in the southern China. Underlying these developments is not only the expanded sense of space that I mentioned, but also, shared "sense of ease and safety" based upon having similarities in culture and religion. Anxieties about how to live tomorrow creates the desire for such sense of ease and safety in living today, on the part of everyone and every country. So, both EU and NAFTA can be described as a "community based upon sense of ease and safety" by Europeans and North Americans, respectively, of largely Christian background.

In the foreseeable future, there is not likely to be big wars. While there is technology and capital on the part of developed countries, there is not much vitality. On the other hand, developing countries have vitality, but not adequate technology or capital. However, since not everyone is satisfied with the present situation by any means, the coming period may be described as a gray era of peace with small conflicts occurring without stop. Also, activation of exchanges across national boundaries means, in the final analysis, that the role of cities serving as arenas for exchange of people, things, information, finance and service, will increase. And, it has been none other than Islam that has historically demonstrated much wisdom for shared coexistence in the cities. It will be necessary in the future for us to make good use of this very positive body of wisdom. And the road to federations of states will mean a transition to the era of cities which will capture more and more freedom and powers from the states' control, without limit. In other words, we must make the transition from states with closed borders to the development of networks of cities that are open to the world, in order for us to realize world peace.

So, I would like to identify these three as the defining characteristics of the global system in the 21st century, namely: formation of the "regional communities based upon sense of ease and safety," the era "of gray peace" accompanied by regional and ethnic conflicts, and the "era of cities."

Thus, the primary purpose of today's discussion should focus on these three characteristic features of the global system in the 21st century, and discuss how we can build a large boat (the present-day version of the Noah's Ark) on a global scale, in this age of uncertainty. With this, the keynote speech was concluded.


Session-I: "Impact of Islamic Power on the Global System in the 21st Century"

[Summary of the speech by Professor Yamauchi]

He brought out three points that when we consider the impact of Islam on the global system, we should confirm from the present situation. They are:

  1. The phenomena of revival of Islam has become salient even on the level of citizens at large, and this is occurring not just in the Middle East, but even inside the United States and Europe.

  2. Islamism is not an unitary or monolithic phenomenon, but is highly diverse with varied ideas competing with one another, which has given rise to instability in much of the Islamic world. And, this, in turn, is being perceived as posing a threat by the West.

  3. When we look at the Islamic communities spread throughout the world at the present time, it becomes very important to examine the trends in the phenomenon of revival of Islam and Islamic movement in the post-Cold World War period.

Terroristic activities that are seen often as a threat by the West represents only a small and extremist part of the world of Islam. Having made those points, he pointed out the following.

In the background of the Western perception of the Islamic movement as a threat, there are two types of perception of the source of Islam as a de-stabilizing factor. Some link Islam with energy crisis based upon the associations with the Middle East oil. Others see the Islamic communities within the West as a de-stabilizing factor for their own society. And so, it is wrong to focus on the terrorism aspect in viewing Islam. The reason, he pointed out, is that some of the Islamic terrorism is directed against fellow Moslem compatriots, rather than against foreigners. This represents largely an internal conflict within Islam itself. While there is some resentment against Western ideas and approaches within the Islamic world, the idea of different Islamic sects or factions cooperating and banding together organizationally to struggle against Europe and the United States is not borne out by the reality. Rather, we should turn our attention more to the trends and developments among ordinary people who live in the Islamic world, for, much of what they seek and want is not much different from our own values, he said. If we learn from history, we find that after radicalism always comes a more rational response which proves to be dominant. He concluded his talk with the expectation that the radical activities that we see now represent "the beginning of the end."

* "The beginning of the end" ... The ideology of radicalism and extremism occurred in the past in Japan as well. The movement to "respect the Emperor and chase out the barbarians" (Son'no-joi movement) in the mid-19 century which brought about the Meiji Restoration was also a radical movement. Later, however, the Meiji State consolidated itself, and from this kind of historical currents, we can say that radicalism is often a precursor for the move to stability.

[Comment by Professor Hanafi]

In relation to the talk given by Professor Yamauchi, Professor Hanafi made three points.

  1. There are stereotyped images* of Islam when Islam is discussed in Europe, the United States, and in Japan. We must ask if these images really reflect the reality of Islam. For Islam has other images as well.

    * "Stereotyped images"...It means commonplace, generalized images about a given entity. When we think of the image of the Islamic world, there is a tendency for us to define the Islamic world with a number of preconceived notions, and make judgments about Islam with such notions.

  2. It is not fair to equate the Islamic movement with Islamic fundamentalism. The mass media in Europe and the United States see just one aspect of the Islamic revival, and focus on those who engage in terrorism.

  3. It is not fair to think of Islam as the enemy of the West. It certainly is not the case that West alone is humanistic, idealistic, and is in possession of a rational philosophy. When we look back on the past history, we find that much culture was transferred from the Islamic world to the West in the past, while the Islamic world learned from the West in modern ages. In the future, then, we should have give and take and teach and learn from one another, on an equal footing. Such is the future that we look move toward. These were his three comments.

[Panel Discussion]

1) Mr. Yoshikawa: He explained some of the background of the revolution in Iran, based upon his experience while he was posted there, and then, stated that in the present severe financial situation and international environment, how the Islamic world will secure prosperity will be the key point in the coming period.

2) Prof. Piscatori: He touched on what the concerns are on the part of the West concretely, and pointed to three different forms.

  1. Concerns about Islamic communities: In those parts of the world where Moslems are a minority, there are examples such as the tragedy of Bosnia and difficulties experienced by Moslems living in Western Europe, and so, there is a concern that out of these experiences of oppression, a common awareness is likely to be developed in opposition against the West.

  2. Concerns regarding stability: The relationships that most Western countries have with the Islamic countries are largely confined to the royal families in Saudi Arabia, etc., and other elite strata, who serve, in effect, to protect the Western interests, and other possibilities in the area of ties are rather ambiguous. So, there is a concern as to whether or not friendly ties can be maintained if and when the present regimes are overturned.

  3. Concerns about the threat posed by Islam toward the Western values: For example, despotic or authoritarian regimes exist in some Islamic countries, and concerns exist that this is likely to lead to conflict with the Western concept of human rights, etc.

After making these three points, however, he cautioned that there is much diversity and pluralism within Islamic thinking as well, and neither Western thought nor Islamic thought are the same as in the past, but are evolving with the times. This means, he pointed out, that we need to reexamine the nature of the threat once again.

3) Prof. Itoh: From the standpoint of economics, social norms* play an important role for the proper functioning of the economic system. Now, as the process of globalization unfolds, can the Islamic world coexist with the Western social norms? Should we look upon the protest against the present situation which is made in the Islamic world as a part of the frictions between the developing countries and the globalization of the world economy, in a broad sense, or should it be seen as an unique problem of the Islamic world? He posed these two questions.

* "Social norms"... Values-based rules for social behavior, which included a broad range of situations such as the simple rule of moving forward when the traffic signal is green, and stopping when the signal is red, to economic rules, values and outlook related to working, etc. Generally, these norms are not necessarily stipulated in norm, but actual rules that are practices in each society in a customary or habitual manner.

4) Prof. Yamauchi: In responding to the questions, he touched on the background of the rise of Islamism, and pointed out that much of it is influenced by the failure of the modernization model, or the deadlock in that process. The failure of such Western-type modernization model left many problems in both economic and cultural realms. In the economic realm, he pointed out the following: [1] the failure in fair distribution of wealth and services; [2] failure to create sufficient employment; [3] failure to achieve growth on the basis of economic independence; and [4] inability to secure the social cost of investment. Put another way, the development model brought in from outside induced the collapse of the social system which existed in the Islamic society from before, but could not provide an alternative economic arrangement to take the place of the old, and this fact exerted an important impact. In the cultural realm, development and investment were carried out simply as Westernization and going after Europe and the United States, and so, this brought about a sense of cultural undermining, the sense of being victimized on the part of many people in the Islamic world. The responsibility of the West regarding this should of course be discussed as part of the overall discussion.

5) Prof. Hanafi: He stated his understanding of the Islamic movement as a movement for reform of social problems and to defend independence, and asked that we view this as a movement to establish freedom and liberalism in the Islamic world, rather than as a revolution. Also, it is up to Japan to select its own future role, to decide whether it is going to advanced with the North, or whether it seeks tie-up with the South. He maintained that Japan can play the role of preventing sharp polarization in the world and of moderating the U.S. view of Islam as a threat.

6) Mr. Takashima: He noted through today's discussion that some of the erroneous views about Islam on the part of the West may have been corrected, and a new step may have been taken for thinking about the relationship anew, and closed the first session.


Session-II: "Impact of China, which is in transition to the socialistic market economy, on the Global System"

[Summary of the speech by Professor Amako]

He stated that there were three significant currents in viewing the world today:

  1. An universal current symbolized by the ideal of the United Nations that transcend states;

  2. Understanding of the world situation in terms of the balance of power among big countries; and

  3. The view that we cannot expect to see a new world system soon and that a chaotic world will continue to exist for the foreseeable future.

He expressed his view that these three currents will criss-cross with one another and will help to shape the world in the coming period. The way that much of the world looks upon China today see both the possibilities and dangers, and unless there is a big confusion, China's economic and military presence will increase. And if the market economy continues to make progress, then, the country will be integrated more and more into the rules and the process of globalization that exist in the West; along with this, China's own mode of thinking and action will decrease in relative importance, and there will be a greater acceptance of the international order, he pointed out. Thus, he believes that it is not correct to look upon China as posing danger in an one-sided manner.

China's view of the international situation is characterized by the following points.

  1. The basic factor that determine international relations today are "states".

  2. The basic factor that determines a given state's international relationship is its "total national power.

  3. It views international structures based upon a view of "an order led by big powers."

The characteristic of the approach to diplomacy which is drawn from these premises is defined by a high priority given to economic development and firm maintenance of independent and self-reliant diplomacy, and the orientation of becoming a big power.

The approach of the international community toward China should be based upon the understanding that the global system in the 21st century is not a balance of power type system based upon a multi-polar structure; rather, it will be a mutually-dependent system based upon shared sustenance, in which activities in the realms of economy, culture and information will play the leading role. And the international community should communicate this to China, and make efforts to that end in a steady, cumulative manner.

[Summary of the speech by Professor Rozman]

With regard to the question posed in the 1st session by Prof. Itoh regarding the compatibility of Islam, etc. with the globalism of the West, Professor Rozman pointed out that the Western globalism is not perfect either, and the standard and criteria do not lie there. Rather, we should view the West as also needing improvement, and in the process of developing, itself. And all the various social norms that different civilizations have are as yet imperfect or incomplete from the standpoint of world integration, and so, it is necessary to carry out further adaptation and change.

In terms of the prospect on China, he pointed out:

  1. The economic growth will continue, and

  2. A greater acceptance of the series of principles operative worldwide that are also changing will occur within the process of economic growth.

Then, based upon that premise we can have an optimistic outlook on China over the long-term. Also, China is likely to become a big power, and enter the world system as a key country. On the other hand, he disagreed with the view that now that the era of ideology has ended, China is shifting mainly to economic needs, for he believes that the Chinese society needs a set of principles. The importance of China from the Western perspective is that because China is the foundation of the civilization in the East, it has a distinctive role in the world. The foundation of Chinese thinking is "Sinocentrism" (China as the center of the world).* And a touchstone that will foretell of China's future involvement in the world system is its position on Japan's membership in the U.N.'s Security Council as a permanent member. What kind of position China will take on this question will test China's Sinocentrism and its thinking. Also, with regard to the view that the country's economy may become decentralized into various regions, and the country may become split up de facto, he stated that if decentralization of the economy is handled appropriately with flexibility, then, China's concentrated power will be even more enhanced.*.

* "Sinocentricism" ... The mode of thinking which holds that China is at the center of the world, and that the Chinese are situated at the center of civilization, and the others outside of China on the peripheral areas. In this view, there is a certain hierarchy between the center and the peripheral areas, and China is the central entity which works to maintain balance with the surrounding countries and peoples.

* Various subregional economic zones that include parts of China (such as the Southern Chinese economic zone that comes into being in its relation to Taiwan and ASEAN, the Japan Sea economic zone that includes Japan, Korea, and Russia, etc.) as one of the means. While it is not simple to manage these, if China is to increase and concentrate its power, then, it is necessary to achieve a good balance in each sub-region.

As for Japan's role, he thinks that Japan should contribute as one of the world leaders in the development of global principles, rather than as the representative of Asian interests. Also, both Western countries and Japan needs to have an understanding of China's pride, sensitivity, tradition as well as its hesitations, and proceed with the development of rules step-by-step. Within this process, he thinks that WTO will assume a big role as a new world organization where all the big powers will sit at the same table.

[Comment by Mr. Fan]

He started by discussing the present economic situation in China. First of all, inflation has become serious, and in the background for it, there is the government's abolition of price controls and excessively rapid capital investment in plant and equipment. Second, there is the widening gap in income between regions in China, which has led to a gap of 1:20 between inland and coastal areas, in extreme cases. Overall, however, he believes that China will be able to continue a high pace of economic growth, provided that there is no big political chaos. And, from an economic standpoint, China has set two good examples: One, it is managing to make the transition from a planned economy to a market economy while maintaining stability. Two, it is showing a new model of economic development for a late-starting big country. Also, viewed from a cultural and philosophical standpoint, the strong vitality of Asian culture is being proven once more through the economic progress being achieved by China. In relation to the Confucian philosophy which some say lies in the background, he mentioned "mastery of self," "good family management," and "peace and good governance of the country".

* "Self mastery," "family management," "social order and peace" .... "Self-mastery" means cultivating one self so as to raise one's education, culture and overall quality to a higher level. "Family management" means that after achieving a higher level of education, one works to improve family so as to create a happy family and orderly family. "Social order and peace" means that by developing cultivated individuals and well-managed families, we can build social stability, economy, and social progress, according to this view.

Also, what people have wanted from the bottom of their hearts in the past 15 years after the start of the reform is a major readjustment of the relationship between the individual and the collective, and between the family and the society - the relationships that were severely belittled under the concentration of power after the Communist Party took power. Ordinary Chinese people want to recover humanity, restore a proper balance in society, and build a rich country. And through the restoration of the Confucian culture and Sinocentricism, and through the vitality of Asian culture, the commonalty of Asia on the spiritual realm will become even more enhanced. In that sense, the economic expansion of China will not pose any threat to the world, but will lead to stability and prosperity in the Asian and Pacific region.

[Panel Discussion]

1) Prof. Kaji: With regard to the present situation in China, he stated that a patient suffering from high blood pressure called "inflation" is drinking alcohol supplied in the form of loans from Japan, and is competing in the competition called market economy; and under such circumstances, there is no question but that the economy will collapse, and both Japan and China should be aware of this dangerous situation. And from the standpoint as a student of Confucianism, he pointed to the relationship between Confucianism and agriculture, and the absence of an appropriate agricultural policy at the present policy on the market economy. Solution of the agricultural problems was cited as the key point for the development in the future. He presented the view that in the process of globalization of the economy, traditional Confucian thinking will exert an influence on China as the country on the receiving end, which differed from the view of Prof. Amako. In terms of the military question, because the army assumes the administrative function of government over vast tracts of land, disarmament is out of question. And given the purpose of today's symposium, what Asia may be able to offer to the world is the thought placed importance upon the family vs. the individualism that exists in Europe and the United States. So, he concluded his remarks.

2) Assoc. Prof. Matsubara: The economy under capitalism operates on the basis of trust, and it is necessary to have a certain level of similarity in culture, in order to create trust each other. Even as the economy becomes globalized, it can not lead to elimination of trading blocs, because there is the question of trust; rather, the world will sort itself out to a number of "trust zones" and the possibility exist that economic zones may be created largely on the basis of the specific civilization involved. And as China becomes increasingly integrated into the world economy, and its market economy develops more, is it not possible for the economy to leave the control of the state, regardless of the intention of the state, and move on its own? Also, if China continues to develop economically, naturally, it will be confronted squarely with global environmental problems; at that point, how will China respond? He posed these two questions.

3) Prof. Amako: As a way of responding to the questions, and also to supplement, he said that in the area of agricultural problems, the local village enterprises have been important in absorbing the surplus labor of farming villages, but they have been stagnating recently, and so, how to absorb the surplus labor can become a grave problem in the future, he added. Also, with regard to the influence of the tradition, 15 years have passed since the start of the reform, and people in their early 40's are the main implementors, and many of these people have experienced study overseas, or living abroad, and so, he believes that the traditional Confucian social norms may be changing. In terms of Prof. Matsubara's question, he touched on the "Study of human connections and ties" * which form an important part of Chinese thinking, and this is serving to push the Chinese economy forward at the present time, as well. And in terms of Chinese thinking, while Chinese take a very strict stance toward politics, they adopt a highly flexible approach on economic matters. So, with regard to the problem of market opening, this kind of flexible thinking swallow up and handle various problems in a typically Chinese manner. Such is the prospect he sees.

* "Study of relations" ... This refers to the world of personal connections, the world of human relationships and ties. This term is used to indicate that without understanding the importance of these relationships, it is not possible to understand the workings of the Chinese society.

4) Prof. Rozman: China has the intention of paying any price to grow rapidly and to become a big country, and it does not worry about other matters. And he pointed out that during this period, it will hold lid on individual's rights, which may give rise to tensions. When you look at China, we need to pay attention to this area, he said.

5) Prof. Amako: With regard to Mr. Takashima's question if the possibility of chaos is rather large given the present condition (in contrast to the prerequisite condition that "if there is no chaos"), Prof. Amako said that the present situation is likely to continue even in the post-Deng period, in all probability. As reasons for this, he cited the probability that the leadership system centered around the Party will not collapse easily, and, the military is likely to become more bureaucratized, and remain neutral. Also, Prof. Rozman stated that if there is confusion and chaos in China, the major countries in the world should cooperate to prevent economic chaos and stop the outflow of refugees, given the enormous impact that such development can bring to the entire world system. And he stated that China is moving on the road of becoming a superpower itself, and it is most aware that it cannot afford to have any losses due to confusion. Mr. Fan from China mentioned the Taiwan problem as one of the factors for confusion, and that a difficult situation will arise if the trend for Taiwan independence becomes stronger. Still, while China is faced with many difficult challenges, the factors for economic development and political stability are being maintained, he concluded.


Session-III: "Roles of non-Western civilizational areas, in particular the Asian region, in building the Global System

[Summary of the Speech by Professor Kitaoka]

With regard to the view that in the post-Cold War period, conflict among the world's major civilizations, he pointed out the following: It is too rough and oversimplified to sum-up the big picture in terms of the Western civilization vs. non-Western civilizations. Because of diversification of values and cultural pluralism in the Western world itself, the degree of tolerance toward other civilizations is increasing rapidly. And even in non-Western civilizations, the process of Westernization is proceeding as we can see in Americanization among East Asian countries. Given these phenomena, he said that the civilizations are coming closer together. Now, despite this, conflicts among civilizations comes under much limelight, because various types of conflicts that had been pressed down during the Cold War are coming to the surface more today, and the contacts among the civilizations are increasing even more rapidly than the growth in the level of tolerance. Thus, for example, the conflicts that we can see in East Asia are conflicts between the newly rising economic powers and the existing powers, and such conflicts were seen between Japan and the West and between Britain and Germany within Western Europe (in the late 19th and early 20th century). What can be learned from this is that the developed countries should not press down the challenge posed by the late-comers unfairly, while the late-comers should not be wedded to maintenance of their traditional values and political system in a rigid manner. Japan and other countries of East Asia developed mainly through trade while maintaining only modest military power, and these countries can provide a model for economic rules in the world, and can develop a new framework in the form of drawing both the United States and China into their framework, and it is here that Japan can make a big contribution.

[Summary of the speech by Director Chamarik]

He started by saying that his talk may represent somewhat of an antithesis of what has been discussed so far about economic growth and the framework for that, and so forth. For he would like to consider matters from the standpoint of ordinary persons who have been pushed to the periphery due to modernization. First, if we look upon the problems that are being discussed here as reactions of the Third World people against what has been pressed upon them under the name of freedom and democracy, then, the problems may become easier to understand. That is, thought itself is a reflection of one's state of knowledge and world view, it can hardly, if ever at all, be neutral and value-free. It always serves a particular socio-economic system, or represents the interest of such a system; it is all man-made, and so, the question is how human beings make their choices about this. In this sense, the theories of science and economics developed in the West in the modern period cannot be called a matter of course; they need to be reexamined and evaluated anew..

In the 21st century, the world is likely to see economic blocks, and Asia is likely to be one of the poles. However, he said that we need to really examine what exist behind economic growth, and touched on the situation where poverty is expanding rapidly in 114 developing countries as an outcome of economic development. The current style and pattern of development we have been undergoing derives its roots solely from the distorted scientific and industrial culture of the West, and it is based upon three mistaken hypotheses, he held. First of all, there is the dogma that human beings dominate over nature. Secondly, there is the Darwinian theory of evolution based upon the "survival of the fittest." Thirdly, there is an erroneous view of progress which affirmed human dominance over nature as being good, and representing progress.

* To put this outlook in terms of economic position, it may lead to the view that the richest countries, and the people are the fittest and that there is a definite value in their survival. And the economically weak ones are on a lower order; they may have to obey, etc. From such thinking, we can end up with a logic which legalizes dominance of nature and of weaker persons and entities, and justifies such dominance.

We must know that there are such gaps and shortcomings in human knowledge and world outlooks, and what is truly demanded of us now, is a spiritual prospect which can liberate our spirit, and save us from the present predicament. From this standpoint, Asia as rich and diverse religious traditions, which he believes can contribute to the emergence of a new world outlook in the coming period.

[Comment by Prof. Piscatori]

There are three scenarios regarding coexistence of civilizations from the results of the discussion: One, that there will be divergence among the civilizations leading to intensified conflicts. Two, that the civilizations will increasingly come together or "converge." And three, that there is a possibility for the civilizations to achieve harmony. As we seek to move on the third path of reconciliation, it is important for us to take up the three values of "Consensus," "Community," and "Social Justice" as things that are common to the major civilizations. He held that we need to take this approach mutually, and that it is the task of the intellectual to assume this role.

[Panel Discussion]

1) Mr. Ichioka: We should take the level of economic development into consideration when we think about human rights, and in poor countries, upgrading the economic level is part of the fundamental human right. And in Asia, there is a characteristic of valuing joint work even more than competition, harmony rather than conflict, and of valuing long-term human relationships. And, he believes that this quality will contribute to the world.

2) Mr. Fukukawa: Throughout the debate and discussion, he feels that a number of values came out as we consider the 21st century, namely, the need to establish a new globalism, a new humanism, and a new industrialism. And in seeking for these three, we may see the emergence of a new global system. Also, in terms of the contribution of East Asia, we should look at both the aspect of growth and that of limitations as we think about how to live in the future years. In this context, it is vital for Japan to consider not only its national security and market opening, but also to take the stance of thinking about the problems from the common stance with other Asian countries.

3) Prof. Rozman: Those persons who believe in globalism are waging various struggles in their respective countries, but their efforts are not going well in many areas in the recent period. In the background of this situation, there is the desire on the part of people who want to affirm the meaning of the international identity more clearly, and this constitutes a certain resistance. Also, even if we accept that the world trade is broadening to a certain extent, the force that want to protect their own cultural values is not to be belittled, and it is not at all easy to overcome this, according to his view.

4) Prof. Kitaoka: The rules for the environment and economic competition must be global in scope. Rather than thinking that all civilizations are equal in value or thinking about which is more correct, etc., we must change the global system so that we can ascertain whether a given matter is legal or illegal. This is necessary in the present situation when the earth has become smaller, he said. Looking forward to 50 years ahead, the prospect for the earth in terms of limitations on natural resources and population are rather severe, and in that sense, too, it is necessary to step up the work toward global rule-making.

5) Mr. Chamarik: Harmony among civilizations cannot be achieved in some automatic manner, and everything is dependent upon the choices that human beings make. And this is a point that he wanted to make in the speech, he added. And what is important is that we need to reexamine what we consider to be our own knowledge and wisdom. Free trade is only one aspect of the overall system, and when we consider the image of the global system, we must not forget that there will be exchanges among various local community levels, on the grass-roots level, as well as among global organizations.

6) Prof. Piscatori: After acknowledging the difficulties of achieving harmony among the civilizations, he cited the example of the problem of immigrants. The fact that Moslems immigrated to Europe served to make the social situation in the receiving countries such as Britain and France more complex. However, through that, it brought about new intellectual and cultural debates, and contributed to the progress of such discussions, in the final analysis. While immigrants bring on new tensions, they serve to promote a new relationship, on the other hand.

7) Prof. Kimura: Hearing the discussion, one question that keeps on coming up in his mind is whether or not Japan has neighbors who are real friends; he pointed out the need for us to grasp Japan again within the context of the large Asian cultural zone. He said that throughout the discussion today, he felt that we should build a system where we can learn from one another based upon the awareness that all countries and peoples in the world are standing on the same line, in the final analysis, and this effort must be pushed forward more actively in the future.

8) Mr. Takashima: He cited the phrase "unity within diversity," which was used often in the earlier ASEAN Conference and the APEC conference that took place later, and stated his belief that it is possible for such phrase to spread from ASEAN to the entire Pacific region, then to the whole world, in some form, and that he has a rather optimistic impression about the prospect. He commented that there is a need for us to dare to be optimistic. And as two points that remained in his impression, he mentioned the erroneous or one-sided images that exist about the Islamic world, and the failure of the development support policies adopted by the West. By overcoming these shortcomings, and by wiping off the mistaken notions and discovering new forms and images, we may be able to build a foundation for the 21st century. With this, he concluded the discussion that was carried out for many hours.

[Please Note]
This summary was drawn up by this institute on the basis of the stenographic minutes of the proceedings of that day, and we did not check with the speakers about the content, etc. Therefore, we would like to correct any errors that are made in interpretations of the content, etc., in a later issue of the GISPRI.