European Civilization 1 (The flow of European civilization )

The flow of European civilization

 

A quick look at the history of European civilization:

This includes Greek civilization, the Roman Empire, the Germanic kingdoms, the Merovingian and Carolingian, the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy, Italian cities, Hanseatic cities, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, Britain, Russia, Germany and America.

 

It is often said that European civilization is based on three things: Greek and Roman civilization, Christianity, and Germanic culture. Greece symbolizes the spirit of science, Rome the pragmatism, and both symbolize maritime trade (monetary economy)*1. After such abundance, Greek philosophy and then Christianity entered the Roman Empire. Christianity was not formed in a simple, organized form like Islam, but rather developed initially in the Greek region while resisting authority. Later, with the decline in the population of the Roman Empire and probably a change in the weather environment, the Germanic peoples began to migrate in 375, and the Roman Empire split in 395, with the eastern side becoming Byzantine and the western side being occupied by Germanic peoples. The European civilization we know today may not be the Byzantine Empire that served as a barrier against the other civilizations in the east, but rather the civilization*2 formed by the initially scattered Germanic peoples.

 

*1 Greek and Roman civilizations are often compared to European civilizations, and while Greek civilization's scientific spirit, philosophical tastes, and division of the polis are similar to European civilizations, Roman civilization's pragmatism, academic methods (technology such as roads and water supply, legal codes), and centralized politics and diplomacy are similar to those of the United States(internet ). Therefore, what the Romans did may be of some help when considering what Americans should think and do. For example, disparities arose within the Roman Empire even in their home country of Italy, the empire was established through two pipelines: foreign rule and slave rule , and the minority rulers in foreign countries were appeased by gradually granting Roman citizenship. It may also be of help when considering how such things led to the decline of the empire.

 

*2 When we think of Europe, we tend to think of Christianity, but it is thought that the original primitive Christianity may have originated through Greece (Eastern Rome: Greek Orthodox Church). However, if the separation of religion and politics, and of the spiritual and secular, is one of the characteristics of the Christian civilization (where it differs from Islam, China, India, and Russia), then it may be said that Christianity has evolved over the course of history. In the Middle Ages, there was also a phenomenon in which the spiritual world tried to prevail over the secular world. However, because of this separation, the secular world sometimes took over the spiritual world. As a result, Western Europe came to dominate the world with capitalism and democracy, so Christianity should be understood as a religion and value that evolved along with the history of Western Europe.

 

The Germanic peoples' characteristics include the vassal system and the people's assembly. The Germanic peoples' system was combined with the Roman civilization's land loan system and the Christian church's governance of the people (the church took over the administrative power of Rome, which was lost due to the Germanic invasion), and the external force of Islamic power: the fifth principle (environmental principle and external principle) was added to it, and medieval Europe was born. *1 The great migration of the Germanic peoples, and the repeated wave invasions of foreign peoples such as the subsequent migrations of the Magyars, Avars, and Normans, are characteristic of the history of European civilization. In other words, it is highly likely that European civilization was initially the final destination of the migration of peoples, which was more greatly influenced by them than Chinese or Islamic civilizations. *2. In response to this situation, European civilization's response: the fourth principle (principle of reaction ) was to employ the Germanic peoples as a means of security, or to make them masters, and the Christian church was responsible for administration. And securing a livelihood meant promoting rural development inland based on the defense of livelihoods, as farmland was destroyed by the disruption of the social system caused by the movement of different ethnic groups, and the closure of the sea by the advance of Islamic forces.

 

*1 Initial social structural power in Western Europe: The third principle (principle of community development) was the Germanic vassalage system and the popular assembly. It is thought to have had the Roman land-loan system and the church's governance of the people at its core. However, the state of the Germanic tribes and the characteristics of the places they invaded combined in various ways, which led to the formation of a Europe rich in individuality (for example, the Franks and northern Gaul, the Lombards and northern Italy, etc.).

 

*2 Here, four characteristics of Europe emerge. A society with a strong military consciousness and its social structural power: The basis of the third principle (principle of community development) is the aristocratic characteristics that emerged from the subordinate system of the Germanic peoples. There are also democratic elements that are related to Roman civilization but also to Germanic characteristics, namely the senate, plebeian assembly or democratic elements. The Christian church strengthened the civil elements of the region during the chaotic period of Germanic invasions. And the state of division, which is a superficial phenomenon of security. Unlike the civilizations of China and India, European civilization is composed of a loose universality and a state of division, and has aspects similar to the cosmopolitan civilization of Islam and has also been influenced by it.

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Civilizations and value 2８ ( advantage of its hollow structure )

Regarding values, I have been thinking about how they are formed, and I have been thinking about values that are formed by external forces and values that are formed by internal forces. And I decided to limit my consideration to Japan. The image obtained from this is that new social forces are trying to overcome old social forces in Japanese society. There is also the impression that the very nature of social science is about to change. In other words, the situation is a combination of Japan's unique circumstances and general trends in the world as a whole.

 

Five items were listed as circumstances unique to Japan. These include 1. aging and declining birthrate, 2. fiscal deficit, 3. new industrial revolution, 4. natural disasters (earthquakes, weather changes), and 5. diplomacy (USA, China), but it is new industries that are starting to take center stage and have an influence. It seems like a revolution . The essence of the new industrial revolution is that it is deeply related to the mechanization of intelligence. America is at the forefront in fields such as ITC, big data, and AI. Cars are also moving toward self-driving, but what will happen when this trend reaches its ultimate stage? Isn't that the automation of politics and government? However, in order to reach that point, it seems that the evolution of social science is a prerequisite. I believe that the evolution of social science can only be achieved by dynamically grasping the concepts established in social science . The new industrial revolution is deeply related to the other four items. Picking up related data groups and how the power of those numbers is related will provide answers to each of the four questions about what is needed to solve the problem.

 

The issue of automated driving in politics and government is actually a problem that is difficult for both the United States and China to address. America has the idea of democracy, and China has the idea of communism. Communism in China means that the Communist Party rules the country, and in that sense both the United States and China can be said to be countries with clear "values."

 

In contrast, it may be better for Japan to take advantage of its hollow structure and aim for autonomous politics and administration. Wouldn't it be better to have values change with the times, just like capitalism, where capital gradually moves to places where it can be profitable, without having hard values like in the United States and China?

 

In my research on civilization, I have mentioned the ``Five Forces.'' These were 1. Value, 2. Technical efficiency force, 3. Social structural force, 4. Reaction force, and 5. External force. However, each of them had different values, and each had its own expansion and space.I believe that the 30 years since 1991 were a time when Japan had no value on its own. It must have been a time when there was no "value" in the middle of the hollow structure, and the world was drifting without being steered. From a Japanese perspective, this may not have felt strange. Originally, the Japanese people were said to be a hybrid race.

 

However, even without this sense of discomfort, the four issues mentioned above - the aging population, declining birthrate, budget deficits, disasters (earthquakes, climate change), and foreign policy - have become increasingly serious. The question is what values should we approach these real-world issues with and how should we utilize the five strengths? Rather than having rigid values, we should have the prototype of Japan's quasi-civilization as a concise model. I think it's important. In that sense, I think it will be necessary for future Japanese people to reconsider the Edo period, which is now a different world. This is because our undeniable value lies there.

 

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Civilizations and value 2７ ( cooperate with civilizations and quasi-civilizations )

I have also looked in some detail at Edo period as a more concise example of inner value . The purpose was to see the characteristics of changes in the mentality of the social order. But that's not all. In addition to Western knowledge, it may be necessary for Japanese people today to look back and deeply observe themselves, especially the Edo period. If you don't know your own roots , you won't even know what your value is. Perhaps this is the reason why we are drifting through time. The new discipline could be said to be a discipline aimed at discovering and merging introverted and extroverted values.

 

I have written on the theme of civilization and values, but thinking of civilization as a living organism and classifying it may not fit with the way we think about SDGs and ESG in this day and age. This is because these concepts seem to be a statement of general ideals in the global economy. There is also the issue of climate change. This is an issue that must be addressed as a whole. However, on the other hand, conflicts between civilizations for survival are unlikely to disappear. Unless China democratizes, industrial decoupling will be inevitable. This is an opportunity for Japan to usher in a new major industrial revolution . However, in the long term, it would be even better for the Far East if China were to continue to democratize without splitting up. This is because it led to the establishment of a common market called the CU (China Union) at a relatively early stage, rather than a common market that has gone through a long process like the EU. However, looking at what China is doing in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia, it appears to be a step beyond its traditional assimilation policy. These regions have a long history with China. Furthermore, the People's Republic of China, which was born after a long period of rule by large landowners, large merchants, and bureaucrats, can be called a new civilization.Although there may be a return to a collective leadership system, it may not be democratized.

 

Therefore, although they have deep economic ties, politically they remain at odds, and for this reason Japan must cooperate with civilizations and quasi-civilizations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. First of all, we need to become more familiar with these civilizations and understand their value. We are entering a difficult time if we just follow America's global strategy. It would be desirable to be able to gather information from Pacific and Indian Ocean countries and make recommendations to the United States based on that information. In that sense, the expansion of the United Nations University may be one of the opportunities . We aim to make SDGs and ESG more localized , but on the other hand, it would be good for Japan to have a research institution that makes them universal. Furthermore, compiling a great world history, as　Mitsukuni Tokugawa compiled a great history of Japan, may have a positive influence on the world, just as it later influenced Japan. And this will become a major force in gathering information on the Pacific and Indian Ocean countries.

 

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