Head of Department of General Humanities
YOSHIDA, Shin
The environment surrounding us is changing rapidly every day. We live in an era where predicting the future is becoming increasingly difficult. In such circumstances, there is a need to acquire practical knowledge that can be immediately applied. This is the skill to flexibly adapt to change. However, on the other hand, the knowledge that is important for life is not easily acquired. At university, you can learn a lot of the practical knowledge mentioned above, but it is also important to think deeply about questions that do not have immediate answers. These are questions that humanity has grappled with since ancient times, such as "What is a human being?", "What is happiness?", and "What is beauty?". Since its founding, Department of General Humanities has aimed to cultivate the ability to consider such fundamental questions from diverse fields such as thought and philosophy, culture and art, and religion and theology.
When considering problems that are difficult to answer, I believe it's important to take your time and think carefully. This means continuing to think about it for days, months, or even years. Let me explain this with a concrete example. When you put firewood into a stove to keep warm, if you put in freshly cut wood, it will just produce a lot of smoke and won't get very warm. This is because if the firewood contains too much moisture, it will be difficult to burn. Therefore, it is necessary to dry the firewood thoroughly and reduce its moisture content. After felling, firewood is stored for about one to two years to dry. From the outside, it may seem like nothing has changed while the firewood is drying, as it is simply sitting there. However, inside the firewood, preparations for burning well are steadily progressing.
When considering questions like the one above, rushing to a simple answer is like firewood that doesn't burn properly. You end up not fully reaching the essence of the problem. For this reason, time is needed to calmly confront the question. I hope that you will have this time to think during your four years of study in Department of General Humanities. Our department offers a curriculum that allows you to consider questions that are important to you from various perspectives. We wholeheartedly welcome those who aim for deep learning through a multifaceted approach.