シュヴァイツァーの生き方に学ぶ


桃崎剛寿
中学校編とっておきの道徳授業―オリジナル実践35選生き方・正義・行事・進路・社会に真っ向勝負

今週の道徳では，偉人伝で有名な「原生林の聖者」，シュヴァイツァーの生涯を取り上げました。

シュヴァイツァーの博愛に満ちた生き方を通して，困難や失敗に負けず勇気を持って進んでいく気持ちを育てたいという意図がありました。

アルベルト・シュヴァイツァー（１８７５　～１９６５）は，ドイツに生まれました。若い頃は，オルガンの演奏で世界的な名声を得，神学者としても大学教授にまで昇り詰めた人です。

２１歳の時に彼は，つぎのような決意をしたそうです。
「自分の人生は，３０歳まではオルガンと神に捧げよう。その後３０歳を過ぎたら，医学を修め，人々のために生きよう」

この若い頃の決意を曲げず，彼は３０歳の歳に，世界的オルガン奏者と，進学の大学教授という２つの地位を捨て，医学部にもう一度入り直します。８年間医学の勉強をしたのち，３８歳の時にアフリカ南西部にあるガボンという国へ旅立ったのです。

当時のアフリカは，マラリヤや熱帯特有の病気が蔓延し，普通の人が健康に生活できる土地ではなかったそうです。しかし，彼は，医学の勉強中に結婚したヘレーネ・ヴレスラウという夫人と一緒にアフリカに渡りました。彼女は夫であるシュヴァイツァーと医療活動に携わるために看護婦の資格まで取ったそうです。

アフリカは想像以上に過酷で，ちょうど第一次世界大戦が始まった時期でもあり，シュヴァイツァー自身も病気にかかってしまったそうです。その４年後シュヴァイツァーは失意のうちにいったんドイツに戻ります。しかし，ドイツに帰った後も彼は人々の善意に支えられ，講演会を依頼されたり，本を書くことができたり，演奏を頼まれたりと多くの人々の励ましや資金援助を受けることができました。

そして，ドイツに戻った７年後に再度ガボンへ旅立ちます。ドイツ時代に多くの人々から援助してもらった資金をどうしたと思いますか。なんとガボンのランバレネというところにあった病院を再建したそうです。すべて病院の運営資金としてつぎ込んだのだそうです。

４０年に及ぶアフリカでの努力が認められ，ノーベル平和賞を受賞しました。いまでも「原生林の聖者」として，世界中の人々から賞賛されています。

いくつか授業の終わりに書いてもらった感想を紹介したいと思います。

・２１歳で，３０歳までは，神と音楽に人生を捧げ，３０歳からは人々に人生を捧げるなんて，言うだけは簡単なのですが，それを実行するなんて，すごい人だなと思いました。

・シュヴァイツァーは，３０歳から人々のために自分の人生を捧げることを実行し，ガボンに行き，苦しんでいる人たちを，たとえ自分が病気になっても，助けようとするなんてすごいなーと思いました。そして，病院経営のために，毎年ヨーロッパでオルガン演奏をし，稼いだお金を病院や苦しんでいる人たちに貢ぐなんて，普通の人じゃできないんじゃないかな～と思った。一番すごいと思ったのは，３０歳からの人生のすべてを，死ぬまで人々のために捧げ，ガボンで死去したことです。

・３０歳から自分の地位を捨ててまで大学に行って人々の役に立とうとするなんて，すごい覚悟だと思った。せっかく稼いだお金を，自分のために使わず，すべて病院の運営資金にするなんてとても普通はできないことだと思いました。

・人のために人生を使うなんて，すごいなぁと思った。９０歳まで生きていて，その三分の二が人のために生きていたなんて，信じられない。途中でイヤにならなかったのかなぁと思った。私も人のために何かできたらいいなぁ。

・「人々のために」なんて，相当な苦労があるのにめげずにやるとは，どういう意志でやっていたのかなぁ。

・３０歳まで音楽と神に人生を捧げて３０歳から決意したことをよく実行できたなあと思いました。教授になって，それでもすごいのにやめて大学に入るなんてもっとすごいなあと思いました。決意したことを実行しているとよく分かったところは，一回ドイツに戻ってからまたアフリカに戻ったことだと思いました。

・２１歳に誓いを立てたことを本当に一生を尽くしているのがすごかった。普通，教授の地位を得たのに，その地位を捨てないが，アフリカで暮らしていた。そこまでして医者を続けるのはできないことだと思う。

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In the morality of this week, "the saint of a primeval forest" famous for a biography and Schweitzer's whole life were taken up. It let the way of life filled to Schweitzer's Hiroyoshi pass, and there was an intention to want to raise the feeling which loses neither difficulty nor failure but progresses with courage. Albert Schweitzer (1875?1965) was born to Germany. When young, he is the person who acquires global fame by performance of organ and rose even to the professor of a university also as a theologian. That's right to which he made the following decision at the age of 21. "30 years old will offer their life to organ and God. If 30 years old is turned after that, I will study medicine and will live for people." When [ this ] young, a decision is not departed from, but he throws away two statuses of a global organist and the professor of a university of entrance into a school of higher grade into 30 years old age, and regoes into the medical department once again. It left for a country called Gabon which is in the Africa southwest part at the age of 38, after studying medicine for eight years. It is said that Africa of those days was not the land on which illness peculiar to MARARIYA or the Torrid Zone spreads, and an ordinary person can live healthily. However, he went over Africa together with a wife called HERENE VURESURAU which got married during medical study. It is said that she took to a nurse's qualification since it was engaged in Schweitzer and medical activity which are a husband. It is said that Africa is severer than imagination, and is also the time when World War I started exactly, and Schweitzer itself has started sick. The four years after Schweitzer once returns to the inside of disappointment in Germany. However, even after returning to Germany, he was able to support in people's goodwill and was able to receive encouragement and financial support of many people as it is as being ordered a performance たり [, and ]. [ that a lecture meeting is requested ] [ that a book can be written ] And seven years after returning to Germany, it will leave for Gabon again. What do you think the fund which I had given to the German era from many people was carried out? It is said that the hospital which suited at the place called what and Lambarene in Gabon was rebuilt. It is said that all were poured in as working funds of a hospital. Efforts in Africa for 40 years were accepted, and the Nobel Peace Prize was won. It is admired as "a saint of a primeval forest" also in now by people in the world. I want to introduce the comment to which I had some written in the end of a lesson. - Although it was easy to say that 30 years old offers life to God and music, and life is offered to people from 30 years old at the age of 21, I thought that he was an uncanny person as performing it. - It performed offering one's life from 30 years old for people, Schweitzer went to Gabon, and even if he became sick, he regarded those in pain with it helping as uncanny. And I carried out the organ performance in Europe every year for hospital management, and regarded the earned money as kana ? which is not made in an ordinary person as supplying money to hospitals or those in pain. Having offered all of the lives from 30 years old for people until it died, and having died in Gabon thought it the uncanniest it. - Even by having thrown away one's status from 30 years old, I thought that it was uncanny preparedness as it is going to go to a university and is going to be helpful to people. I did not spend the money earned with much trouble for myself, but regarded it as it being very usually being unable to do making all the working funds of a hospital. - I thought that it was uncanny with using life for people. It cannot be believed that it is alive to 90 years old, and the 2/3 was valid for people. I thought whether it became disagreeable on the way. What is necessary is just to be also able to make me some for people. - Of what kind of will was it doing doing without being disheartened by that there are considerable difficulties "for people"? - I could perform well having offered life to music and God to 30 years old, and having decided from 30 years old, and considered it after the shelf. It became a professor, and although it was uncanny, I still thought that it was uncannier with stopping and going into a university. I thought that the place for which it was well understood when it was performing having decided was having returned to Africa again after returning to Germany once. - It was uncanny to have rendered the lifetime for having stood the oath to 21 years old truly. Although the professorial status was acquired and the status was not usually thrown away, it lived in Africa. I think that it carries out to there and that it cannot do continues a doctor.

参考

『中学校編　とっておきの道徳授業　●オリジナル実践３５選●』　

桃﨑剛寿　編著　日本標準