Published on July 12, 2019.
As a continuation of the previous chapter, this passage discusses the confusion surrounding the word “liberal,” the realities of scholars inclined toward left-wing political activism, and the differing tendencies seen in engineering, theoretical fields, and the life sciences, using concrete examples.
From the standpoint of defending academic freedom, it sharply brings into view the problem of expanding Chinese influence, power structures within universities, and left-wing authoritarianism.

2019-07-12
After that, the conversation turned to international affairs, and when I said, “If China swallows us, academic freedom will disappear as well,” he replied as follows.
What follows is a continuation of the previous chapter.　
The troublesome word in terms of usage is “liberal.”
Since I stand for protecting the autonomy and independence of scholarship, I regard myself as a liberal who fights both left-wing authoritarianism and right-wing authoritarianism.
However, because left-wing authoritarians call themselves “liberal,” if one calls oneself liberal, one ends up being mistaken for a left-wing authoritarian.　
Precisely because I am a liberal, if scholars begin engaging in right-wing political activity under academic titles, I would criticize that in the same way based on the reasoning written here.
Naturally, left-wing scholars too would bring out the same logic as I do and launch fierce protests.
That kind of double standard is the very essence of the left.
However, in Japan’s universities today, those who engage in right-wing political movements under academic titles are rare.
On the other hand, left-wing political activities carried out under academic titles are not few, not only the “Scholars’ Association Opposed to the Security-Related Laws,” but also the 2017 statement by the Science Council of Japan on “military security research,” among others.　
For that reason, it seems that in conservative discourse a misunderstanding has spread that almost everyone belonging to academia is left-wing.
However, in my own experience, in practical fields such as engineering there are almost no left-wing people.
That is also supported by the survey results introduced on page 180, Table 3.　
We engineers repeat experiments again and again in the process of research and development, aiming to realize things with new functions.
However, most experiments fail.
Even when we think, “If we do it this way, it should work,” reality repeatedly confronts us with the fact that something has been overlooked.
Only after repeating failure dozens of times do we finally achieve the desired function.
If an experiment fails, criticizing the experimental result produces nothing.
Every day is a continuous process of reflection.
When one has such experiences, one cannot adopt a way of thinking like left-wing authoritarianism.　
Even within the sciences, however, there are many left-wing scholars in theoretical fields.
They do not undergo the baptism of experimental failure.
At the same time, they are good at study, and so they are prone to acquiring a mistaken sense of omnipotence.
In the survey cited at the beginning as well, many physicists and mathematicians are included in the signature list.　
Let me introduce one episode.
Several years ago, I had a chance to go drinking at night with a university teacher specializing in mathematical engineering whom I had met at an international conference.
When I asked him whether he did not engage in research that would connect his theory to practical application, he replied as follows.　
“If I leave it as theory alone, other people will do the practical research using it, so my papers will be cited a great deal and I can increase my citation count.”　
When I heard those words, I thought, this is a left-leaning person, and that instinct was correct.
After that, the conversation turned to international affairs, and when I said, “If China swallows us, academic freedom will disappear as well,” he replied as follows.
“There are good points in China too. Japanese politicians are hereditary, and there are few female lawmakers. In that respect, China is more equal.”
I was astonished and replied like this.
“But all seven members of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo are men, and there is also a hereditary faction called the princelings, isn’t there? That makes no sense.”
As expected, he could offer no rebuttal.　
The signature list in Table 3 also contains many biologists.
Biology is basically an experimental science, so from the discussion so far this may seem surprising.
However, in my experience, I have the impression that there are not a few left-wing people in the life sciences as well.　
In fact, there are quite a few life-science laboratories that are very “black.”
Individual researchers are made to work long hours under the PI, the principal investigator who heads the laboratory.
Since the PI holds enormous power, power struggles also tend to become intense.
When I moved from the life sciences to engineering for graduate school, I remember experiencing culture shock at the sheer freedom there was.
This article will continue.