Held on Thursday, January 21, 2021
Lecturer: Takashi Saito
(Associate Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Hokkaido Graduate Schools)
His specialties are economic philosophy and redistributive justice theory. From April 2014 to March 2020, he was an associate professor Department of Co-existing Society Studies Faculty of Economics Tohoku Gakuin University. He assumed his current position in April of the same year. His publications include "Social Consensus and Time: The Philosophical Implications of 'Arrow's Theorem'" (Bokutaku-sha, 2017).
In this lecture, we focused on the department's philosophy of aiming for a symbiotic society by emphasizing empathy and a multifaceted perspective. Among the students' comments, one said, "I think that sensitiveness is especially necessary during this time." With the increase in online classes and events, and the decrease in opportunities to meet in person, I believe that caring for one another through consideration for one another will become even more important. Furthermore, the department's fundamental philosophy of realizing a symbiotic society through a multifaceted perspective is compatible with the SDGs and is a philosophy that leads the global trend. I hope that you will all keep the philosophy of Department of Co-existing Society Studies in mind and have a positive impact on society in the future.
Student impressions
- One thing that particularly impressed me at this lecture was Amartya Sen's statement that "things that cannot be expressed in market value can also be indicators of a 'good human life'." Before the lecture, I thought that only "things that can be expressed in market value" were indicators of a "good human life," but after the lecture, my thinking changed, and I now agree with Amartya Sen that "things that cannot be expressed in market value" are also indicators of a "good human life."
- I was able to learn about an inclusive society once again. It was a very fulfilling time, as I learned not only about the kind of inclusive society I had previously thought of, but also about new ways of thinking about it. Regarding the coronavirus vaccine, I believe it should be distributed equally to people all over the world. My reasoning is that if the vaccine is used primarily in Japan, it may give other countries a bad impression of Japan. I think this could potentially cause problems between countries. Because the coronavirus is a global problem, we should cooperate globally. Thank you very much for your talk today!
- When thinking about something, I realized that it's difficult to find the right answer if you consider things from multiple perspectives. For example, regarding the revitalization of my hometown, if we build a department store to solve employment problems, problems with the local economy and community will erupt. This is exactly what is happening in my hometown right now. And finally, regarding the vaccine, I felt that whether a country prioritizes the economy or a harmonious society is not something that outsiders can comment on or decide, so it may be an issue that will never have a definitive answer. This time, I understood the importance of empathy and how important sensitive nature is, especially during this time! Thank you for this valuable opportunity!
- Through this lecture, I was most convinced that it is important to approach problems from multiple angles, as approaching them from only one perspective is likely to miss something. Also, hearing the story about Amartya Sen's Human Development Index left a strong impression on me, as it showed that Sen approached the problem from the perspective of problems he actually experienced in his own upbringing. As the novel coronavirus is a problem that is lurking close to us right now, I would like to keep in mind the lesson that "keeping our distance from each other is a way of caring for each other" and strive to solve the problem.
Thank you for holding the lecture today. - One point that left a strong impression on me was the phrase, "How do we resolve conflicts arising from differences?" After listening to this talk, I learned that when we encounter obstacles due to differences, it is very important to have a multifaceted perspective and approach the problem from multiple angles. I also reaffirmed the importance of mutual respect. In my university life going forward, as the professor mentioned earlier, I would like to become someone who can understand each other's differences and backgrounds when interacting with partners and who can think about things from multiple perspectives. Thank you very much.