Great Construction

The Bankruptcy of the Primacy of Academic Learning

     Because the controversy over the organ theory which became a great issue in the land has continued for such a long while throughout all reaches of society, it would appear there is nothing left to discuss, but actually no attempt has been made as yet to investigate the fundamentals of the issue. The writer believes that it is necessary to impart advice for younger scholars and thus has written this essay.
     This issue started from the social thought that embraces the ideology of the primacy of academic learning. These days culture in Japan is based on materialistic learning from the West, and as primacy of academic learning has become deeply embedded within the minds of the Japanese, the ideology is not unreasonable. Its strength is not something that is easily demolished.
     The evidence for this strength is in Dr. Minobe’s declaration that in spite of agitating society, even at the expense of his own reputation, “academic theories cannot be distorted. Look at the world a thousand years years from now!” How much the ideology of the primacy of academic learning harms society can be well understood.
     This ideology, however, infects not only Dr. Minobe but, as tuberculosis, a great majority of Japanese scholars who belong to the intelligentsia, university students, those involved with the fourth estate, and so forth. To destroy and correct this ideology requires great strength, greater than ideologies that encourage communism, so for the eradication of this ideology, most likely starting a great movement of both citizens and the authorities is necessary.
     The true cause of such ideologies is nothing other than the result of the interpretation of all in a Western manner because Western learning which overly emphasizes materialism, has come to be taken to be absolute, been revered for a long while, and has bewitched everyone, so that the fundamentals of the national polity of Imperial Japan are not understood.
     The outward face of the organ theory is Dr. Minobe, and there are many who denounce his theory, from the military clique to other right wing groups, but the fact that the reality is probably the opposite can probably be imagined. The Minobe side is only hiding itself by remaining silent because it fears the trends of the times. The most notable sign of this concealment is that, from the justice minister to all the cabinet ministers, with only the exception of the unbending stance of the army and navy ministers, the fever for any opposition has been conspicuous by its absence. The situation is that the only reason movement is shown is due to the unavoidable incitement by military circles. And, perusing the opinion pieces in all the newspapers, even though on the surface they seem to be on the side of those who denounce the organ theory, actually no one can fail to see the flickering of support for protection of the organ theory.
     Moreover, as long as the terrifying left-wing tendency of political thought can be considered to be the goal of the organ theory as social thought, the issue is indeed grave. Therefore, I will explain here how it would be best to eradicate this fallacious theory.
     It is important to understand that the national polity of Imperial Japan differs from that of foreign countries as the difference between heaven and earth. The origins of the imperial lineage which originated long before the formation of civilization are far removed from the beginnings of the sovereigns who came about as a result of ambitions among heroes of their respective peoples. Moreover, seeing that the injunctions left behind by the imperial ancestor Ameterasu Omikami are clearly much older than three thousand years, that is, from an era known as the Age of the Gods, their majesty is not comparable to foreign countries. That is why when addressing the Imperial Presence with respect and honor, the phrase “Divinity in Human Form” is employed.
     Those addicted to materialistic thought cannot perceive this essence. Therefore, in order to correctly recognize the majesty of the Japanese polity, understanding is probably impossible without thought that includes the spiritual. Our assertion is that the human being is composed of spirit and body. If the human being were only the body, it would be only substance, material. With spirit, activity as a sentient being comes to be possible. Because there is spirit, God as the controller must be recognized.
     Those who profess the primacy of academic learning do not recognize spirit. That is because only incomplete analytic experiments have been conducted. As a result, the organ theory was born, and that organ theory has weakened the peoples’ loyalty. Moreover, the organ theory leads to left wing tendencies. In other words, it is this variety of thought that is the cause of the weakening of the nation state.
     An ideology based on spiritual thought will denounce the organ theory and as a rule of thumb will recognize God, so a spirit of loyalty that has faith in the majesty of the national polity will generate. Indeed the nation state will strengthen.
     According to this principle, as the basic condition to solve this controversy, it is sufficient to replace the ideology of the primacy of academic learning with an ideology of the primacy of the national polity. If the national polity is not stabilized, how is even academic learning possible? Moreover, all in creation was not created by human beings through the vehicle of learning. As all that is in creation, even human beings, even Dr. Minobe, were created by God, they are all controlled by God.
     The Kannon faith makes possible recognizing all too clearly the actuality of God.

The Light from the East, Issue 8, October 21, 1935
translated by cynndd