We live in times worth living: JCP Fuwa on Marx

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

We live in times worth living: JCP Fuwa on Marx

Fuwa Tetsuzo, director of the Social Sciences Institute of the Japanese Communist Party, gave the second lecture on Marx, entitled “Seeing Japan and the rest of the world in the 21st century with Marx’s eye”, at the seminar “Marx is alive and well” held at the University of Tokyo Komaba Campus on November 6.

About 580 students and non-students alike, even more than the numbers who attended the first part of his talk on October 30, listened to Fuwa’s lecture.

Fuwa outlined world history - the development of capitalism which originated in the 16th century and then dominated the world, the departure from capitalism by countries aiming at socialism, and the independence of colonized countries in the 20th century.

Karl Marx predicted a future society in which producers will be the key players of society. In this future society, not only poverty and economic crises will be overcome, but “all people may fully utilize their abilities,” Fuwa stressed.

He concluded his lecture by saying:

“Isn’t it a life worth living for you to live in an era that is providing the opportunity to open a way towards a future more egalitarian society and be able to take part in that process?”

A male second year student of Meiji University said, “I’ve acquired many new ideas from Mr. Fuwa’s lecture. It helped me consider the current state and limitations of capitalism when viewed from a historical perspective.

A third year student of Chuo University said, “It was a very empowering point of view that shows that we are living in an era that is providing us with the opportunity to work for a better future society for all.”

The two-day seminar was sponsored by the Democratic Youth League of Japan’s Tokyo University-Komaba branch and its organizing committee.

- Akahata, November 7, 2009