EASA Publication Honoring Dr. Felix Unger Includes Excerpts from Dialogue with Daisaku Ikeda
The Heart of Europe: Science, Humanity and Responsibility, published by EASA to commemorate the 80th birthday of Dr. Unger, cofounder and honorary president.
On February 25, 2026, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) published: Das Herz Europas: Wissenschaft, Humanität und Verantwortung (tentative translation: The Heart of Europe: Science, Humanity and Responsibility), a book commemorating the 80th birthday of the academy’s honorary president and co-founder, Dr. Felix Unger. This book honors Dr. Unger’s philosophical legacy, focusing on his vision of a united Europe sustained through dialogue, science and human values. It includes “Religion and Tolerance,” the first chapter of The Humanist Principle: On Compassion and Tolerance, the dialogue between Dr. Unger and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda. In the chapter, the two discuss the spirit of tolerance from Catholic and Buddhist perspectives.
EASA brings together scholars from diverse disciplines and leads a
wide range of research initiatives and projects, including studies on
sustainable societies, while continuing to expand its global network. In March
1997, Mr. Ikeda became the first Japanese person to be awarded EASA’s title of
“Honorary Senator.”
Dr. Felix Unger (2nd from right) and his wife, Monika von Fioreschy (2nd from left), chat with SGI President Ikeda and his wife, Kaneko. (Hachioji, Tokyo, July 1997)
The Ikeda-Unger dialogue was compiled from discussions held in four
face-to-face meetings and subsequent exchanges of letters. First published in
Japan in 2007, it has since been released in English, Italian, French,
Portuguese and German.
In their discussions, Dr. Unger described tolerance as “very
active and personal,” stating that it arises through dialogue and engagement
with others. “Tolerance is a spiritual service to another,” he said. “It is an
active form of coexistence in which I identify with and feel responsible for my
fellows.”
In the same chapter, Mr. Ikeda emphasized that true tolerance must go beyond simply recognizing the existence of others. “I define active tolerance as that which enables us to bring to fruit a richer humanity by respecting, delighting in, and learning from the existence of others.” He further stated, “Whatever is called tolerance must be examined from the standpoint of whether practising it makes people more deeply compassionate and happier.”
[Adapted from an article in the May 17, 2026, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
