An Encouragement of Learning cover

An Encouragement of Learning

by Fukuzawa, Yukichi

The intellectual and social theorist Yukichi Fukuzawa wrote 'An Encouragement of Learning' (1872-1876) as a series of pamphlets as he completed his critical masterpiece, 'An Outline of a Theory of Civilization' (1875). Closely linked, the two texts illustrate the core enets of Fukuzawa's theoretical outlook: freedom and equality as inherent to human nature, independence as the goal of any individual and nation, and the transformation of the Japanese mind as key to moving forward in a rapidly evolving political and cultural landscape.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?