Soka means value creation. In 1930, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871-1944), the founding president of Soka Gakkai, published the first volume of The System of Value-Creating Pedagogy, describing the education theory he had developed over the previous 40 years as an educator. In essence, to create value means to enhance life. To strive for good, toward peace; to uphold and protect human dignity; to be undaunted by hardship—the essential ideals of Soka education exist in the effort to nurture such creative humanity.

Makiguchi’s value-creation philosophy was inherited by Josei Toda (1900-1958), the second president of Soka Gakkai and, in turn, by Daisaku Ikeda, Soka Gakkai’s third president. In 1971, Ikeda founded Soka University, actualizing the ideals of Soka education. He put forth the following founding principles:

The primary mission of Soka University is value-creating education, to nurture the creative, life-enhancing potential of each student and to inspire students to employ that potential for the greater benefit of humanity. This is the founder’s call.

University education should not be limited to the teaching and acquisition of specialized knowledge. The lack of distinction between knowledge and wisdom is a prime source of the crisis of modern society. What society requires is individuals who are able to freely employ knowledge in order to bring forth the wisdom to creatively confront the challenges of our ever-changing global society. Soka University strives to provide humanistic education that will foster individuals who, exercising wisdom rooted in a rich humanity, can fulfill that requirement .

First established during medieval times in Europe, universities played a significant role in the development of scholastic philosophy based on Christianity that facilitated the birth of Renaissance. Today, in our increasingly interdependent world, an integrating philosophy that embraces and brings order to the diversity of human culture and learning is once again required. Such a philosophy, firmly grounded in a recognition of our shared humanity, can provide the basis for the development of a global culture. Toward this end, the emergence of global-minded individuals enriched by learning is crucial.

A global citizen could be defined essentially as an individual of wisdom, courage and compassion—courage to respect and appreciate differences such as race, culture and ethnicity and to make such differences a source of nourishment for one’s own growth; compassion to feel empathy and a sense of identification with people in other parts of the world. Such courage and compassion are themselves a limitless font of wisdom. Soka University aims to be a cradle for the creation of a global culture based on the solidarity of global citizens—a solidarity of creative humanity.

Because of their uncompromising opposition to the militarist government of Japan during World War II, both Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda were harshly persecuted and imprisoned. Makiguchi died in prison. Toda inherited Makiguchi's ideals, leaving prison with a fierce resolve to create a peaceful society. This resolve was encapsulated in an historic public declaration, in 1957, calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In order to actualize his predecessors' vision for peace, Daisaku Ikeda has engaged in wide-ranging dialogues with intellectuals and leading figures of the world and has been active in developing grassroots exchanges for peace among people of different nationalities and cultures. The pursuit of peace is the soul of Soka Education.

Makiguchi advocated a concept of humanitarian competition, as the ideal form of competition between nation-states. He saw this form of competition—whereby states compete in terms of their humanitarian contributions to global society—as a progression from the military and economic competition that have dominated human history. Individuals motivated by a sense of humanitarian competition—competition to increase humanity's state of happiness and peace—are what our world sorely needs. Soka University's principle of being a fortress for the peace humankind, a nexus of open dialogue between diverse peoples, encapsulates these ideals.

"For what purpose should one cultivate wisdom? May you always ask yourself this question!"

"Only labor and devotion to one's mission gives life its worth."

On the day of the university's dedication, the founder offered the above thoughts as guidelines for students then, now and in the future.

Soka University will continue to foster value-creating individuals through rigorous academia supported by a sense of mission of serving peace of the world and happiness of people.