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Mori (Moderator): The liberal dilemma incorporates a core paradox of open societies: extending tolerance without limit can ultimately undermine the liberal order itself. Is this really happening? And if so, why? For example, given the complexity of diversity, lasting peace requires an understanding of political, economic, and socio-cultural contexts. This underscores the importance of the liberal arts, with its emphasis on interdisciplinary perspectives. However, "liberal arts" is often perceived as an elite form of education, reserved for the highly conscious and the privileged. It thus becomes a marker of division. Given this paradoxical structure, how can we sustain peace within this landscape? Today, I would like to explore this issue with you, focusing in particular on the role of liberal arts.

However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 set off a chain of destabilizing events, followed by Israel's military operations in Gaza and then the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. What is especially troubling is that the United States and Russia��permanent members of the UN Security Council entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding international peace��seem to have abandoned those very obligations. These states were originally granted their privileged status precisely because they were expected to prevent wars.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that Russia's actions do not violate the UN Charter, claiming instead that they are justified under Article 51^*2. In contrast, U.S. President Donald Trump has at times asserted that he is not bound by international law, leaving the international community in a state of profound uncertainty and helplessness.

How can this situation be resolved? In the United States, criticism has intensified, some government officials even resigning in protest. Developments in the American market also offer important clues. In this sense, the repercussions of the U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran have already spread across many countries and regions, creating significant economic and political instability. Whatever the eventual outcome, the consequences��particularly in terms of heightened risk premiums^*3 and global uncertainty��will be severe.

Fujiwara��When we consider the relation between education and nationalism, the liberal arts tradition stands distinctly within the secular sphere, maintaining a deliberate distance from both religion and nationalist ideology. At its core, liberal arts education emphasizes the search for perspectives that transcend nationality and national borders, while still acknowledging, rather than negating, the importance of ethnic and cultural identity. The early formation of liberal arts education in the United States was deeply influenced by Atlantic cosmopolitanism, a tradition that urged engagement with both American and European contexts.

This perspective echoes the founding spirit of UNESCO: the recognition that we belong to a wider international community, where we coexist with others and engage in dialogue. When we see colorful international flags fluttering above the sports day grounds, we are reminded that we inhabit a world of multiple peoples. Recognizing this plurality is itself a form of learning.

Yet historically, education has also served the opposite purpose: reinforcing national identity. Japan's modern school system began as state-led national education, aimed at firmly establishing the sense of being Japanese rather than encouraging awareness of being one nation among many. The consolidation of a common language, a shared historical consciousness, and the establishment of a national army produced an inseparable relationship between education and the military apparatus. This dynamic was evident not only in Japan but also in post-colonial societies such as Indonesia or Egypt, and the United States, in spite of her ethnic diversity. In the American case, the surge of immigration in the early twentieth century compelled the state to define and disseminate a coherent notion of "American" identity. Public education became the primary vehicle for this project, leading to the widespread promotion of Americanism in schools. Today, American education is drifting back toward this nation-building trend. When unity is framed as "our greatness," it can easily harden into nativism.

But that must not be allowed to happen. The liberal-arts perspective��one that affirms the legitimacy of diverse viewpoints��is more vital than ever as we confront the growing possibility of a shift toward nationally standardized education.

Mori��Diplomacy ultimately depends on dialogue. What struck me most was your observation that diplomatic success must be earned continuously, always by preserving the other party's dignity��even if only by a narrow margin, a kind of 51�C49 balance.

Yoshikawa��Yes. Your counterpart should return home believing the negotiation was a 51�C49 victory in his favor. If he feels it was a 49��essentially a loss��he loses face and may be unable to justify the outcome domestically. In diplomacy, there is no such thing as a unanimous victory; this is a reality that leaders of major powers must always keep in mind.

Mori��The current move by the Trump administration may prove temporary, but with the world as a whole drifting toward nationalism, it is unclear whether this shift will become a long-term trend or whether we will eventually return to the previous pace of globalization. The question is how to understand this change along the broader axis of time.

Yoshikawa��I think it differs according to region. Impoverished nations in Africa and Asia, as well as countries in Latin America and the island states of the Atlantic, hold the UN in high regard. This is because they bring their demands to the UN collectively, recognizing that many of their challenges cannot be resolved on their own. Economic issues can be addressed through the G77^*9, while environmental concerns are taken up through groupings such as the Small Island Developing States.

On the other hand, the United States, Japan, and some European countries often argue that they contribute financially to the UN without receiving proportional returns. In Japan, this sentiment is particularly strong.

However, from the perspective of developing nations, their regard for the UN is fundamentally different. They place high expectations on the UN, and this extends to their trust in Japan as a country that has consistently supported the organization. Understanding how these dynamics operate is precisely the value of approaching global affairs through a multi-angled liberal arts perspective.

Mori��Realizing that the same event can be perceived differently depending on one's vantage point is crucial. One of my senior thesis advisees chose to study the Rwandan genocide by examining films such as Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Tears of Rwanda (2005). Although both works depict the same historical tragedy, they present differing interpretations of who the perpetrators were��shaped by where the films were produced, the audiences they targeted, and even their box-office considerations. This kind of multilateral observation is precisely the perspective we need today.

Fujiwara��When the topic of war comes up, I often refer to Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964). I especially recommend watching the famous phone conversation between the U.S. President and the Soviet leader; it's a scene that stands on its own.

Fujiwara The film captures an era in which the superpowers threatened each other with nuclear annihilation, culminating in crises like the Cuban Missile standoff. Kubrick initially attempted to film the story as a serious drama, but found a straightforward approach quite impossible. The geopolitical reality was so extreme that he turned deliberately to black humor. This choice made the film at once brilliant and unsettling, leaving viewers unsure how to interpret it.

A relevant perspective for the contemporary United States can be found in One Battle After Another (2025), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set against the turmoil of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated, the film brings the atmosphere of intense social upheaval and the struggle against discrimination into the present day.

Is the United States oscillating between opposing extremes like a pendulum, or undergoing a gradual, continuous evolution? I lean toward the pendulum view. The plot of this fictional film is intentionally built around that idea, and many viewers seem to share the sense that history is repeating itself, that unresolved issues keep resurfacing. That resonance is also part of why the film stands out as a major commercial release featuring Leonardo DiCaprio.

One last film to mention is Simple Accident (2025), an Iranian work that has not been released in Iran but is scheduled for release in Japan this May. Its director, Jafar Panahi, has long been prohibited from making films in Iran, a restriction he confronted directly in his earlier work, This Is Not a Film (2011). Over the years, his films have grown darker, shaped by the increasing sense of oppression within Iranian society. His latest film poses a haunting question: What forms of revenge are available to those who have been brutally persecuted by their own government? The story resonates deeply with Panahi's own experiences, giving the film intense emotional and political weight. I strongly recommend seeing it when it is released in May.

Mori��Professor Yoshikawa, you mention Shusaku Endo's novels quite often in your work. Is he your favorite author?

Fujiwara��As the term liberal arts implies, it is not a single discipline but an approach to learning. Its premise is inherently interdisciplinary. Academic research, however, is organized around distinct disciplines, and this creates a fundamental tension. If we argue that students should explore a broad range of subjects before committing to a specific field, then liberal arts can serve as a form of intellectual groundwork upon which disciplinary expertise is built.

However, Juntendo University's Faculty of Liberal Arts does not take this stance. Its meaning emerges from the very perspective of international liberal arts. It calls for a way of thinking that transcends national borders. Even if one is unaware that other societies exist, true understanding comes through experiences such as learning languages and engaging with different cultures. These are the opportunities we provide. The more you learn, the more you free yourself.

We often assume it is natural to abandon our dreams within the confines of a small world, holding ourselves back because the limitations feel inevitable. Yet all of that can change the moment you encounter a new space. Crossing borders is ultimately an invitation to discover your own story. It is a process of finding yourself and recognizing others, learning to think alongside them within a shared space.

Mori��We need to unlearn and relearn. I believe that, through the power of liberal arts, we can liberate both ourselves and society.

Ikoma��This is why I want to introduce theatrical arts into the curriculum at ����Vlog��Ƶ. Embodied knowledge matters. When students inhabit a role, they encounter themselves differently, performing their way toward the discovery of a new self.

Mori��Hence the importance of discovery through embodied, nonverbal forms of expression��whether in theatrical arts, literature, or film.