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[温故知新]、、 武士道(新渡戸稲造)茶の本(岡倉天心)代表的日本人(内村鑑三)学問のすすめ(福沢諭吉)自助論(Smiles)慶応義塾大学 [デジタルで読む福澤諭吉]學問ノスヽメ. 初編~十七編 [ピューア] )( 福翁自傳 [ビューア]


『学問のすすめ 』(An Encouragement of Learning)
福沢諭吉(Fukuzawa Yukichi)
二編 (端書・人は同等なること)

天は人の上に人を造らず人の下に人を造らず
"The heaven does not create one man above or under another man"
人学ばざれば智なし、智なき者は愚人なり
"A man cannot have wisdom without learning. A man without wisdom is foolish."
初編(端書はしがき)、 二編(端書・人は同等なること)、 三編(国は同等なること・一身独立して一国独立すること)、 四編(学者の職分を論ず・付録)、 五編(明治七年一月一日の詞)、 六編(国法の貴きを論ず)、 七編(国民の職分を論ず)、 八編(わが心をもって他人の身を制すべからず)、 九編(学問の旨を二様に記して中津の旧友に贈る文)、 十編(前編のつづき、中津の旧友に贈る)、 十一編(名分をもって偽君子を生ずるの論)、 十二編(演説の法を勧むるの説・人の品行は高尚ならざるべからざるの論)、 十三編(怨望の人間に害あるを論ず)、 十四編(心事の棚卸し)、 十五編(事物を疑いて取捨を断ずること)、 十六編(手近く独立を守ること・心事と働きと相当すべきの論)、 十七編(人望論) 、、[朗読MP3] 
TOP 初編 二編 三編 四編 五編 六編 七編 八編 九編
十編 十一編 十二編 十三編 十四編 十五編 十六編 十七編 [手紙]


端書 (二編/朗読)  [朗読]  [english]  學問ノスヽメ. 二編 [ピューア] 、 ・《青空文庫全 AI朗読全》
 学問とは広き言葉にて、無形の学問もあり、有形の学問もあり。心学、神学、理学等は形なき学問なり。天文、地理、窮理、化学等は形ある学問なり。いずれにてもみな知識見聞けんもんの領分を広くして、物事の道理をわきまえ、人たる者の職分を知ることなり。知識見聞を開くためには、あるいは人の言を聞き、あるいはみずから工夫くふうめぐらし、あるいは書物をも読まざるべからず。ゆえに学問には文字を知ること必要なれども、古来世の人の思うごとく、ただ文字を読むのみをもって学問とするは大なる心得違いなり。
 文字は学問をするための道具にて、たとえば家を建つるにつちのこぎりの入用なるがごとし。槌・鋸は普請ふしんに欠くべからざる道具なれども、その道具の名を知るのみにて家を建つることを知らざる者はこれを大工と言うべからず。まさしくこのわけにて、文字を読むことのみを知りて物事の道理をわきまえざる者はこれを学者と言うべからず。いわゆる「論語よみの論語しらず」とはすなわちこれなり。わが国の『古事記』は暗誦すれども今日の米の相場を知らざる者は、これを世帯の学問に暗き男と言うべし。経書けいしょ・史類の奥義には達したれども商売の法を心得て正しく取引きをなすことあたわざる者は、これを帳合いの学問につたなき人と言うべし。数年の辛苦を嘗め、数百の執行金しゅぎょうきんを費やして洋学は成業したれども、なおも一個私立の活計をなし得ざる者は、時勢の学問にうとき人なり。これらの人物はただこれを文字の問屋と言うべきのみ。その功能は飯を食う字引に異ならず。国のためには無用の長物、経済を妨ぐる食客と言うて可なり。ゆえに世帯も学問なり、帳合いも学問なり、時勢を察するもまた学問なり。なんぞ必ずしも和漢洋の書を読むのみをもって学問と言うの理あらんや。
 この書の表題は『学問のすすめ』と名づけたれども、けっして字を読むことのみを勧むるにあらず。書中に記すところは、西洋の諸書よりあるいはその文を直ちに訳し、あるいはその意を訳し、形あることにても形なきことにても、一般に人の心得となるべき事柄をげて学問の大趣意を示したるものなり。先にあらわしたる一冊を初編となし、なおその意をおしひろめてこのたびの二編を綴り、次いで三、四編にも及ぶべし。


人は同等なること
 初編のはじめに、人は万人みな同じ位にて生まれながら上下の別なく自由自在云々とあり。今この義を拡めて言わん。人の生まるるは天のしからしむるところにて人力にあらず。この人々互いに相敬愛しておのおのその職分を尽くし互いに相妨ぐることなき所以ゆえんは、もと同類の人間にしてともに一天をともにし、ともに与に天地の間の造物なればなり。譬えば一家の内にて兄弟相互にむつましくするは、もと同一家の兄弟にしてともに一父一母を与にするの大倫あればなり。
 ゆえに今、人と人との釣合いを問えばこれを同等と言わざるを得ず。ただしその同等とは有様の等しきを言うにあらず、権理道義の等しきを言うなり。その有様を論ずるときは、貧富、強弱、智愚の差あることはなはだしく、あるいは大名華族とて御殿に住居し美服、美食する者もあり、あるいは人足とて裏店うらだなに借屋して今日の衣食に差しつかえる者もあり、あるいは才智たくましゅうして役人となり商人となりて天下を動かす者もあり、あるいは智恵分別なくして生涯、あめおこしを売る者もあり、あるいは強き相撲取りあり、あるいは弱きお姫様あり、いわゆる雲とどろとの相違なれども、また一方より見てその人々持ち前の権理通義をもって論ずるときは、いかにも同等にして一厘一毛の軽重あることなし。すなわちその権理通義とは、人々そのいのちを重んじ、その身代所持のものを守り、その面目名誉を大切にするの大義なり。天の人を生ずるや、これに体と心との働きを与えて、人々をしてこの通義を遂げしむるの仕掛けを設けたるものなれば、なんらのことあるも人力をもってこれを害すべからず。
 大名の命も人足の命も、命の重きは同様なり。豪商百万両の金も、飴やおこし四文の銭も、おのがものとしてこれを守るの心は同様なり。世のしき諺に、「泣く子と地頭じとうにはかなわず」と。またいわく、「親と主人は無理を言うもの」などとて、あるいは人の権理通義をもぐべきもののよう唱うる者あれども、こは有様と通義とを取り違えたる論なり。地頭と百姓とは、有様を異にすれどもその権理を異にするにあらず。百姓の身に痛きことは地頭の身にも痛きはずなり、地頭の口に甘きものは百姓の口にも甘からん。痛きものを遠ざけ甘きものを取るは人の情欲なり他の妨げをなさずして達すべきの情を達するはすなわち人の権理なり。この権理に至りては地頭も百姓も厘毛の軽重あることなし。ただ地頭は富みて強く、百姓は貧にして弱きのみ。貧富、強弱は人の有様にてもとより同じかるべからず。
 しかるに今、富強の勢いをもって貧弱なる者へ無理を加えんとするは、有様の不同なるがゆえにとて他の権理を害するにあらずや。これを譬えば力士がわれに腕の力ありとて、その力の勢いをもって隣の人の腕をねじり折るがごとし。隣の人の力はもとより力士よりも弱かるべけれども、弱ければ弱きままにてその腕を用い自分の便利を達して差しつかえなきはずなるに、いわれなく力士のために腕を折らるるは迷惑至極と言うべし。
 また右の議論を世の中のことに当てはめて言わん。旧幕府の時代には士民の区別はなはだしく、士族はみだりに権威を振るい、百姓・町人を取り扱うこと目の下の罪人のごとくし、あるいは切捨て御免などの法あり。この法によれば、平民の生命はわが生命にあらずして借り物に異ならず。百姓・町人は由縁ゆかりもなき士族へ平身低頭し、外にありては路を避け、内にありて席を譲り、はなはだしきは自分の家に飼いたる馬にも乗られぬほどの不便利を受けたるはけしからぬことならずや。
 右は士族と平民と一人ずつ相対したる不公平なれども、政府と人民との間柄にいたってはなおこれよりも見苦しきことあり。幕府はもちろん、三百諸侯の領分にもおのおの小政府を立てて、百姓・町人を勝手次第に取り扱い、あるいは慈悲に似たることあるもその実は人に持ち前の権理通義を許すことなくして、実に見るに忍びざること多し。そもそも政府と人民との間柄は、前にも言えるごとく、ただ強弱の有様を異にするのみにて権理の異同あるの理なし。百姓は米を作りて人を養い、町人は物を売買して世の便利を達す。これすなわち百姓・町人の商売なり。政府は法令を設けて悪人を制し、善人を保護す。これすなわち政府の商売なり。この商売をなすには莫大の費えなれども、政府には米もなく金もなきゆえ、百姓・町人より年貢ねんぐ運上うんじょうだして政府の勝手方をまかなわんと、双方一致のうえ相談を取り極めたり。これすなわち政府と人民との約束なり。ゆえに百姓・町人は年貢・運上を出だして固く国法を守れば、その職分を尽くしたりと言うべし。政府は年貢・運上を取りて正しくその使い払いを立て人民を保護すれば、その職分を尽くしたりと言うべし。双方すでにその職分を尽くして約束をたがうることなきうえは、さらになんらの申し分もあるべからず、おのおのその権理通義を逞しゅうして少しも妨げをなすの理なし。
 しかるに幕府のとき政府のことをおかみ様と唱え、お上の御用とあればばかに威光を振るうのみならず、道中の旅籠はたごまでもただ食い倒し、川場に銭を払わず、人足に賃銭を与えず、はなはだしきは旦那が人足をゆすりて酒代を取るに至れり。沙汰の限りと言うべし。あるいは殿様のものずきにて普請をするか、または役人の取り計らいにていらざる事を起こし、無益に金を費やして入用不足すれば、いろいろ言葉を飾りて年貢を増し御用金を言いつけ、これを御国恩に報ゆると言う。そもそも御国恩とは何事をさすや。百姓・町人らが安穏に家業を営み、盗賊・人殺しの心配もなくして渡世するを、政府の御恩と言うことなるべし。もとよりかく安穏に渡世するは政府の法あるがためなれども、法を設けて人民を保護するはもと政府の商売柄にて当然の職分なり。これを御恩と言うべからず。政府もし人民に対しその保護をもって御恩とせば、百姓・町人は政府に対しその年貢・運上をもって御恩と言わん。政府もし人民の公事くじ訴訟をもってお上の御厄介と言わば、人民もまた言うべし、「十俵作り出だしたる米のうちより五俵の年貢を取らるるは百姓のために大なる御厄介なり」と。いわゆる売り言葉に買い言葉にて、はてしもあらず。とにかくに等しく恩のあるものならば、一方より礼を言いて一方より礼を言わざるの理はなかるべし。
 かかる悪風俗の起こりし由縁を尋ぬるに、そのもとは人間同等の大趣意を誤りて、貧富強弱の有様をしき道具に用い、政府富強の勢いをもって貧弱なる人民の権理通義を妨ぐるの場合に至りたるなり。ゆえに人たる者は常に同位同等の趣意を忘るべからず。人間世界にもっとも大切なることなり。西洋の言葉にてこれをレシプロシチまたはエクウオリチと言う。すなわち初編のはじめに言える万人同じ位とはこのことなり。
 右は百姓・町人に左袒さたんして思うさまに勢いを張れという議論なれども、また一方より言えば別に論ずることあり。およそ人を取り扱うには、その相手の人物次第にておのずからその法の加減もなかるべからず。元来、人民と政府との間柄はもと同一体にてその職分を区別し、政府は人民の名代となりて法を施し、人民は必ずこの法を守るべしと、固く約束したるものなり。たとえば今、日本国中にて明治の年号を奉ずる者は、今の政府の法に従うべしと条約を結びたる人民なり。ゆえにひとたび国法と定まりたることは、たといあるいは人民一個のために不便利あるも、その改革まではこれを動かすを得ず。小心翼々つつしみて守らざるべからず。これすなわち人民の職分なり。しかるに無学文盲、理非の理の字も知らず、身に覚えたる芸は飲食と寝ると起きるとのみ、その無学のくせに欲は深く、目の前に人を欺きて巧みに政府の法をのがれ、国法の何ものたるを知らず、おのが職分の何ものたるを知らず、子をばよく生めどもその子を教うるの道を知らず、いわゆる恥も法も知らざる馬鹿者にて、その子孫繁盛すれば一国の益はなさずして、かえって害をなす者なきにあらず。かかる馬鹿者を取り扱うにはとても道理をもってすべからず、不本意ながら力をもっておどし、一時の大害をしずむるよりほかに方便あることなし。
 これすなわち世に暴政府のある所以ゆえんなり。ひとりわが旧幕府のみならず、アジヤ諸国古来みな然り。されば一国の暴政は必ずしも暴君暴吏の所為のみにあらず、その実は人民の無智をもってみずから招く禍なり。他人にけしかけられて暗殺を企つる者もあり、新法を誤解して一揆を起こす者あり、強訴を名として金持の家をこぼち、酒を飲み銭を盗む者あり。その挙動はほとんど人間の所業と思われず。かかる賊民を取り扱うには、釈迦も孔子も名案なきは必定、ぜひとも苛刻かこくの政を行なうことなるべし。ゆえにいわく、人民もし暴政を避けんと欲せば、すみやかに学問に志しみずから才徳を高くして、政府と相対し同位同等の地位に登らざるべからず。これすなわち余輩の勧むる学問の趣意なり。

引用文献


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Preface

There are many kinds of studies. Psychology, theology and philosophy are immaterial studies. Astronomy, geography, physics and chemistry are material studies. In either case, you must have broad knowledge and know the reasons of things and your duty. To have broad knowledge, you have to hear others' opinions, think by yourself and read books. So you have to be able to read when you learn. But it is a big mistake if you think that learning is just reading books like the people of former days.

Reading is just a means of learning. For example, you need a hammer and a saw to build a house. But if you know only their names and don't know how to build a house, you cannot be a carpenter. Therefore a person who can only read difficult books and doesn't know the reasons of things is not worthy of the name of scholar. He is a so-called "learned fool".

A person who can recite Japanese history but doesn't know the current market price of rice, is a person who doesn't know domestic economy. A person who has a thorough knowledge of Chinese classics but doesn't know how to trade, is a person who doesn't know accounting. A person who learned Western studies well with spending a lot of time and money but cannot make a living by himself, is a person who doesn't know the trend of the times. These people are just wholesalers of studies. They are not different from dictionaries that eat foods. They are useless for the nation and are burden on national economy.

So domestic economy is a study. Accounting is a study. To know the trend of the times is a study, too. Learning does not mean only to read Japanese, Chinese and Western books. I named this book "An Encouragement of Learning", but I don't encourage just only reading books. I wrote in this book, from Western books, with translating literally or freely, material and immaterial things that you should know, to show you the great purpose of learning. I made the former booklet the first chapter, and I expand it and wrote this second chapter. Next I will write the third and fourth.

Everyone is equal.
1

In the beginning of the first chapter, I said, "All men are created equal and free." Now I explain it in detail. All men are born by Heaven's will, not by human power. All people should love and respect each other, fulfill their duty and should not bother others. Because they are the same human beings, share the same heaven and are creations between heaven and earth. This is about the same, that siblings love each other because they are in the same family and have the same mother and father.

2
From the point of this view, everyone is certainly equal. However, this does not mean the equality of status. It means the equality of rights. When it comes to status, there are big differences among people, such as the poor and the rich, the strong and the weak, and the wise and the fool. There are feudal lords and the aristocracy who live in a mansion, wear good clothes and eat good food; manual workers who live in a small rented house in a back street and are in need of food and clothes; talented people who become bureaucrats or merchants and have power; incompetent people who sell candies for life; strong sumo wrestlers; and weak princesses. However, when it comes to human rights, there is no difference among people. The rights are: the right to life, the right to protect one's property and the right to defend one's honor.

When Heaven created people, everyone was given functions of body and mind to fulfill these rights. So we must not violate the rights, no matter what. Feudal lords' and manual workers' lives have the same value. A wealthy merchant makes much of his one million and a candy seller makes much of his five cents, they have the same feelings to care their property.

There are bad proverbs, they say "You cannot win against a crying baby and a liege lord." or "Parents and lords speak nonsense and you have to obey." Some people use these proverbs and insist that human rights can be taken away. But they are confusing people's status and human rights.

A liege lord and a peasant have different statuses, but they have the same rights. A thing that a peasant feels pain, is a thing that a liege lord also feels pain. A food that a liege lord tastes sweet, is a food that a peasant also tastes sweet. It is natural that they avoid pains and want sweets. So it is a human right that people acquire their desires, without bothering others. From the point of view of this right, a liege lord and a peasant are the completely same. A liege lord is only wealthy and strong, and a peasant is only poor and weak.

Wealth and poverty, strength and weakness are statuses and people are not the same from the point of this view. But if you force poor and weak people with your wealth and strength, it is a violation of rights by taking advantage of the difference of statuses, isn't it? This is, so to speak, a sumo wrestler breaks his next person's arm with his arm power. Of course, this next person is weaker than a sumo wrestler. But he could have used his weak arms and acquired his desires. It is a disaster to be broken one's arm by a sumo wrestler without any reason.

3
And let's apply this argument to the society. In the Edo period, there were a lot of differences between samurais and commoners. Samurais were arrogant, treated commoners as if they were criminals, and looked them down. There was a law that allowed samurais kill commoners to defend their honor. According to the law, commoners' lives were not theirs, they were no more than borrowed lives. They had to prostrate themselves to even relationless samurais, give their way outdoors and give up their seats indoors. What's worse, they were not allowed to ride horses they owned. Such things are unforgivable, aren't they?

4
These are the unfairness between samurais and commoners. But between the government and the people, there were more ugly things. Needless to say about the shogunate, each feudal lord had his small government and treated its people selfishly. Sometimes, they showed mercy to their people. But actually, they never admitted that the people have their rights, and there were a lot of ugly things.

In the first place, between the government and the people, as I said before, there is only the difference of power and no difference of rights. Farmers feed people by making rice and merchants help people by trading goods. These are their business.

The government protect its people by making laws and punishing criminals. This is the government's business. Although this business needs a lot of money, it cannot make rice or money by itself. So the government and the people discussed each other and made the agreement that the people pay taxes to support the government finances. This is the contract between the government and the people.

Therefore, if the people pay taxes and obey the law, they are fulfilling their duties enough. If the government uses the taxes properly and protects its people, it is fulfilling its duties enough. Because both of them are fulfilling their own duties, they should not require each other any more. Both of them can assert one's rights and there is no reason to violate the rights.

However, in the Edo period, the people called the government "the lord". When it came to the lord's business, samurais were not only arrogant. They rode river ferries and hired manual workers without paying a penny. Moreover, some samurais sponged on the workers for money to drink. It's outrageous, isn't it?

And, when feudal lords built a building on a whim or the government officials did needless things and then they got short of funds senselessly, they imposed more taxes on the people by flowery words. They called this "repaying the debt to the country".

So, what is "the debt to the country"? They said it was a debt that the people could live peacefully without being worried about robbers and murderers. Of course, the people can live peacefully thanks to the laws by their government. But it is the government's business to make laws and protect its people. They are obligations of the government, not the people's debt.

If the government call the protection to its people a "debt", the people also should call their taxes a debt. If the government call lawsuits by the people its nuisances, the people also should say, "it is a big nuisance for farmers that the government imposes 50 percent tax on our rice crop."

But this is like "one ill word asks another" and there is no end. Anyhow, if they are in a relationship to help each other, there is no reason that one should thank the other unilaterally.

5
The cause of such bad customs prevailed, was that they didn't understand the principle that everyone is equal and the government abused its strength to its weak people and violated their rights. So you must not forget that everyone has equal rights. This is the most important thing in the human society. In the western words, it is called "reciprocity" or "equality". This is what I said, "everyone is equal", in the beginning of the first chapter.

6
This is an argument to support the commoners and encourage them to behave as they want. But I have to tell you one more thing from an alternative perspective.

When the government deal with the people, there are different treatments according to the cultural standard of the people. The government and its people have the same rights by nature. Then they have made the contract that the government makes laws instead of the people and the people must obey the laws.

For instance, the people who accept the name of Meiji period, are the people who have made the contract to obey the laws by the government today. So, after a law has been enacted, all the people must obey it until it is revised, if it is inconvenient for an individual. You must be careful and try hard to follow the laws. This is an obligation of the people.

However, there are the people who are ignorant and illiterate, and don't know what is right and wrong. They know only eating and sleeping. Nevertheless, they are so greedy that they cheat others and elude the law. They cannot understand the importance of the national law and their obligations. Although they have a lot of children, they don't know how to educate them. They are idiots who don't have any dignity and don't know what are laws. If their children prosper, they will not benefit the country at all, on the contrary, it is possible that they will be harmful to the country.

When you treat such idiots, you cannot use reasons that they cannot understand. You have no choice but to threaten them with force and avoid the calamity temporarily. And this is the reason there are oppressive governments in the world. This is not only the former shogunate in this country, but also all the other Asian countries from old times. So the tyranny in one country is not only its tyrant and bureaucrats' fault, in fact, it is a calamity that was caused by its ignorant people themselves.

There are people who attempt an assassination by instigation, people who misunderstand a new law and start a riot, and people who break into the rich's house, drink liquors and steal money. There is almost no humanity in their deeds. When you treat such outlaws, even Buddha and Confucius must not have a good idea. So there is no choice but to rule them severely.

So they say, "If the people want to avoid a tyranny, they must learn immediately, enhance their abilities and virtue, and gain their position as high as their government." This is the main purpose of learning, that I am encouraging.

by English Translation



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江守孝三(Emori Kozo)