With almost four years of reading the biography of Josei Toda (1900 – 1958), I cannot help but be inspired by him and see him as the driving force of my thought and development.

Toda declared how great is the intellect of man that he is able to comprehend the mysterious reality of the great universe. Further, how great is human thought that not only it could reach to space, but also build chemical and neuclear weapons to destroy the human race.

Toda had no doubt that with the strictest of training, even an average individual could develop a genius inside. However, he did reject mediocrity in his own efforts and also while observing the political and sociological phenomena.

Whether or not there is a change in the patterns of human thought and behaviour owing to computers and digital devices, there is certainly a need for people of sound intellect who will in many ways drive the times to come.

Intellect, when centres around benefit for people, could be termed as humanistic approach to using one’s mind. Toda understood this reality more than the political leaders, after the WWII, who were mired in hunger for power when the whole nation faced shortage of food with a certain incident of a family succumbing to cannibalism.

With streets, parks, and places named after him in some countries around the world (e.g. Brazil, Italy etc.), the power of Josei Toda’s thought is yet to flow on even more for the next 50 years to come.

(This is merely a personal interpretation of Josei Toda and I have no official authority to write articles about him. You could go to the official site [opens in a new window] to find out more about him)