Wisdom and Contemplative Effort in Ikeda Daisaku's Philosophy of Human Education

This article examines Japanese philosopher Ikeda Daisaku's concepts of wisdom and "human revolution," a contemplative practice central to his philosophy of "human education." Using bilingual and critical discourse analyses of Ikeda's writings, the authors summarize his philosophy, highlighting how human revolution cultivates wisdom. They analyze various Sino-Japanese character compounds Ikeda uses to convey wisdom, arguing that explicating the original Japanese terminology deepens academic understanding often lost in translation. The authors conclude by examining human revolution and wisdom within Ikeda's four interlocking commitments: dialogue, global citizenship, value creation, and creative coexistence. They propose Ikeda's perspectives as worthwhile approaches for more humane curricula and pedagogy across age spans and cultures.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article introduces and examines Japanese philosopher Ikeda Daisaku's (1928–2023) perspectives on wisdom and contemplative effort, what Ikeda calls “human revolution,” at the heart of his practice of “human education.” Using bilingual and critical discourse analyses of the Ikeda corpus, the authors summarize Ikeda’s philosophy of human education, highlighting the role of human revolution as a contemplative practice in the cultivation of wisdom. Thereafter they outline the multiple ways Ikeda articulates wisdom in his philosophy, analyzing the various Sino-Japanese character compounds used to convey the concept and the respective meaning of each. As the original language reflects a depth and breadth of conceptual and ontological thought often missing in translation (and not always easily represented in Anglophone literature), explicating the Japanese terminology expands and deepens academic and epistemological horizons. The authors conclude by examining human revolution and wisdom within the four interlocking commitments and ideals of Ikeda’s philosophy of human education—dialogue, global citizenship, value creation, and creative coexistence. The authors present Ikeda’s perspectives on wisdom and human revolution as universal and worthwhile approaches for more humane curricula, pedagogy, and practice across the age span and cultural contexts.