The recent earthquakes and tsunami unprecedented in Japanese history, which destroyed the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people and led to the tragedy of Fukushima nuclear accidents, are warnings of Mother Earth that mankind faces a change of way of life not only in Japan, but the entire world.

The civilization of science that has “controlled and conquered Nature” since the 17th century is a civilization of power that has headed mankind toward catastrophe. It is based on ‘paternal culture’ which attributes the supremacy to a single human attribute-- reason. Now is the time for us to transform it into a civilization of life based on ‘maternal culture’ that gives the supreme value to life. This paradigm shift is the very basis for creating a “civilization of harmony“ in which mankind and earth become compatible, all nations and creatures living in symbiosis. Keenly hoped for is the emergence of a new civilization based on the transversal ethical values that permit human solidarity linking all civilizations, endowed with respect for the right of future generations to enjoy the beautiful planet.

Japan, alas, has been the victim of both civil and military use of nuclear energy. Japan has been calling upon the International Community to pursue military denuclearization. This Society firmly believes that Japan now has the duty to plead for changing course in the energy field, not only in Japan, but worldwide, with a view to abandoning nuclear plants. Fulfilling this duty alone would constitute a Japanese contribution to the world and Japanese victims of the 3.11 disaster would not have suffered in vain.

The deeply-rooted cause of the crisis confronting mankind is the universally prevalent lack of ethics. It is against fundamental ethics to abuse and exhaust natural resources that belong to future generations and leave behind permanently poisonous waste and enormous financial debts. It is a matter of great urgency to put an end to this civilization of greed based on market fundamentalism.

Prompted by such circumstances, this Society proposes to the International Community to hold a United Nations Ethics Summit as early as possible and to create an “International Day for Global Ethics" that will enable all nations, year by year, to reflect on the importance of ethics.

Secretariat E-mail: ntatiki@reitaku-u.ac.jp

The Society URL: http://gsea.jp/

Text and picture: Professor Eiji Hattori, President, The Japan Society for Global System and Ethics