What We Can See from "Worldview" and "Unity of Mankind" — A Look Back at NHK 100 Minutes on Classics (Feb 2026) Part 3
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"Worldview" is one of the terms used to express the philosophy of the German philosopher Karl Jaspers. Simply put, it means "the totality of human knowledge" (from the 3rd episode of the program).
As illustrated in the program text, even the way one views a living snake differs greatly depending on the culture of the country (see p. 61 of the text).
The whole of reality seeks to appear before our eyes as a worldview, as the whole world, as the only world related to itself in every respect. Even if this worldview is always incomplete and in need of correction, it is always the result brought about by cognition, and in principle, it is considered something that can be acquired as a form that existence takes in order to become generally familiar as reality. Such a worldview seeks to summarize the totality of knowledge that is interrelated within itself.
What is important here is that a "worldview" is not the world itself, but a "fragment" of the world.
Taking the aforementioned snake as an example, because it appears in the Old Testament as the incarnation of the devil who tempts humans, it is treated as "something ominous and evil" in the Christian sphere.
On the other hand, in Japan, it is said to be a sign of good fortune. In some places, snakes, which are seen as symbols of vitality due to their repeated molting, are worshipped as gods.
In this way, a "worldview" is shaped by the history and culture rooted in each land. It is corrected by coming into contact with the "worldview" of others.
Nothing that exists is as important to our self-confirmation as history. History shows us the vastest horizon of mankind, brings us the content of the traditions that form the basis of our lives, shows us the standards for what is contemporary, frees us from the unconscious constraints of the era to which we belong, and teaches us to see human beings in their highest possibilities and their immortal creativity.
After mentioning this part, philosopher Hiroshi Toya states, "Knowing history can relativize the common sense of the present, and thereby encourage the alleviation of suffocation" (text p. 70). The reason why the importance of "looking back at the past and re-grasping the present in a different way" (from the 3rd episode of the program) is preached in "Introduction to Philosophy" is because the author, Jaspers himself, understood well the "danger of absolutizing a single 'story'" (ibid.).
This book was published in 1950, five years after the end of World War II. At that time, the scars of war were still fresh. Jaspers was of a generation that had witnessed the entire country head toward war with the rise of Nazi Germany led by Hitler. The dangers of acting based on an absolute history, such as the "story of the prosperity of the German people" shown by the Nazis (text p. 71), are suggested in "Introduction to Philosophy." Given these points, it can be said that "worldview" is a concept rooted in Jaspers' actual experience.
From the lessons of war, Jaspers puts forward "the unity of mankind" as the goal of history to achieve peace.
Although it is not the ultimate goal of history, one goal, which seems to be a condition for reaching the highest possibility of human existence itself, is formally defined. That is the goal of the unity of mankind.
Furthermore, he continues that "the unity of mankind" is "obtained only in 'loving struggle' and 'unlimited communication'" (ibid.).
Regarding this, Mr. Toya explains in the program as "a relationship where adjustment and negotiation are continuous."
Building a relationship of "peaceful and rich confrontation" (text p. 81) between individuals and between countries may sound like an ideal theory. Even so, I think Jaspers was a philosopher who continued to believe that humans have the power to realize the "unity of mankind."
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