Abstract

The author, fascinated by Kazuo Inamori, founder of Kyocera and KDDI in Japan and also well known for reviving Japan Airlines, started his Inamori research over 30 years ago. He has written award winning papers on Inamori and has also taught at a university in Japan. This book, however, is written in a way that is easy to read and understand for the young generation, based on the author’s experience of having given classroom lectures in a girls’ high school.

“Kazuo Inamori’s thoughts and achievements surpass just one man’s experience. It is actually a social philosophy that could transform the entire society for the better and the goal of this book is to deliver his message,” says the author. When social philosophies such as libertarianism and social liberalism supporting the modern time are reaching their limits, Inamori philosophy can be said that it is the ""third social philosophy.” The author desires to convey the significance of Inamori philosophy and the importance of putting it into practice, not only to businesspeople but also to the younger generation who will be creating our society in the future.

【Table of contents】
Preface
What did Kazuo Inamori do?
Two social philosophies that influence our thinking
Dialogues with high school students
Chapter One: Utilitarianism as a Social Philosophy
1. Logical results of work
2. The issues discussed in social philosophy
3. Late Middle Ages and the beginning of philosophical explorations
4. Utilitarianism emerges
5. The pitfalls of utilitarianism

Chapter Two: How Libertarianism Overcomes the Limitations of Utilitarianism
1. Libertarian explanations
2. The difference between laissez-faire economics and libertarianism
3. Libertarianism in a formula
4. Trade based on free will?
5. Result oriented society

Chapter Three: Keynes’ Ideal Society
1. New Liberalism in a formula
2. Keynes’ basic questions
3. Flow of a nation’s economy
4. Multiplier effect of public projects
5. The propensity to consume and the economy
6. Problems in Japanese society
7. How financial transfer occurs

Chapter Four: Rawls’ Ideal Society
1. Rawls’ basic questions
2. Deriving the principle of justice reversely
3. Principle of equal liberties
4. Difference principle
5. “Distributive justice” in a hypothetical village
6. Principle of Equality of Opportunity
7. Abilities and talents vs just plain “luck”
8. Mismatch by modern liberalisms
9. Faults in modern liberalism

Chapter Five: Problems in Present-Day Society
1. Similarities between the two social philosophies
2. The three theoretical premises
3. Aristotle’s philosophy and the rise of communitarianism
4. What problems do present-day societies face?
5. How about Japanese society?

Chapter Six: “Freedom” in Inamori Philosophy
1. Recognizing “people in association”
2. Realizing responsibilities and expectations through association
3. Associations in every-day life
4. Discovery beyond the awareness of association
5. Appreciating connections
6. Freedom from the chains of desires
7. Practicing free will
8. Human relationships are reflections of the heart

Chapter Seven: “Mental Attitude” in Inamori Philosophy
1. What does a Right Mental Attitude entail?
2. What traditional social philosophies despise
3. Does the formula hold true universally?
4. Difference between the “ideal society” and reality
5. Why the ideal societies will prevail

Chapter Eight: “Justice” in Inamori Philosophy
1. Differences between Inamori Philosophy and Rawls’ theory of justice
2. High school students behind the veil of ignorance
3. Principle of justice developed by high school students
4. Principles regarding active deeds
5. Principles regarding passive deeds

Chapter Nine: “Prosperity” in Inamori Philosophy
1. Are the Results of Work and the Results of Life the same?
2. Two bases for the prosperity of society
3. Negative setbacks and sustainable prosperity
4. How to deal with coincidences
5. What does the example of Mr. Inamori’s life suggest?
6. Mr. Inamori’s life-story

Author’s Information

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