PHYSICAL EDUCATION AS PERSONALITY BUILDING IN PRESENT-DAY SOCIETY

抄録

The subject of my essay is an inquiry into what an assignment of physical education is in the present-day society compared to what used to be; that is, I will consider new requirements for the society now as against the old methods and practices observed in the tradition of physical education. First, we must define what is meant by the "present-day society, " and then, consider what really is meant by "personality building," which might seem unnecessary to be discussed here since the idea of "personality building" pertains to physical education whatever. However, I think it important to ask what actually is "personal building" which should satisfy requirements from the "present-day society": -such questions as what sort of ability, what sort of physical strength, and what sort of personality is in demand today. By using the term "the present-day society," I mean the one opposite to "the modern society," a society which comes only after "the modern society" is generalized, successful and comes to its completion. As to the fact about Japan, even the so-called modernization has not yet come to the goal being prevented by many deterrent forces, and so the realization of "the presently society" is, I should say, very behind; it is not an actuality, but a vision to be actualized in the future. This vision is to comply with various social demands, some of which are possible and desirous, some are impossible, some should be made possible. I would like here to allow myself to take the broadest view as possible at a changing world "here" and "now" which is the reality in history, and also like to present, if possible, with new hopes for that sixty in vision, which may be of some use in guiding our steps who are in charge of physical education. What is the vision, then? It is an imagination, or what develops clearly into our imagination while we are intent on thinking a problem when we must make decision about our future. In order to get this imaginative power, we should always be in "posture foreword" and try to live in the present pregnant with future and to act for future to come. Watching a huge vortex of the movement of the current world may lead us into an illusion and an erroneous view of our future. We must not entangle ourselves in strong tides of our time, but we must stop to think, opposing to the outrageous time and tide, of what runs still deep under the waters. It is, to quote T.S. ELIOT, "the still point of the turning world," and makes both the starting point and the termination of my idea of physical education for future, for "in my beginning is my end" and there is "a white light still and moveing."