Student Corner Noblesse oblige

Lee Yong-joo

By Lee Yong-joo

As the presidential election approaches, the entire nation is wondering: What kind of leader do we want to be our president?

During an election season, there is often discussion about abolishing Seoul National University (SNU) or integrating all the national universities in Korea.

This leads us to think about the symbolic meaning of SNU in our society. What is it that makes people want to shut down a university like SNU ― an educational institute that produces so many talented individuals who serve various sectors of society?

As an SNU student, I can’t understand why people would even think of wanting to shut the school down. But after taking time to think deeply about the subject, I began to understand their perspective.

It seems as if, in recent years, SNU is beginning to forget its true purpose.

Back in the 1980s, SNU had a substantial influence in making Korea a democratic country. While there were some SNU students who just studied to prepare for a safe, stable career, there were also many students who agonized over the need for democratic change in Korea and protested to make it happen.

But now, students appear to have no interest in social issues as they did 30 years ago. It seems as if SNU is just turning into another field for competition.

Many students are only focused on their own futures and social status. By definition, a university should be a place to examine and learn about social values.

It should be a place for students to seek truth and learn skills that can help a society flourish. After graduation, students who studied hard should go out to their specialized field and fulfill the common good ― carrying out social responsibilities and duties.

Nowhere more so is this important than among the graduate classes of SNU. These students, who are likely on their way to a prosperous future, should always keep in mind the idea of noblesse oblige. The term means that people with advantages or those of a high social class should help society and do things for less privileged people.

It originated from Roman emperors and nobles who had strong moral values, and led others toward doing good deeds by doing good things themselves.

The early Roman Empire had a tradition of high-status officials giving donations and undertaking public volunteer work. These acts were considered honorable things to do as well as a dutiful act.

So officials did these good deeds both spontaneously and competitively. Wanting to do good for their country, aristocrats even participated in wars personally, risking their lives. With all of this sacrifice and dedication, Rome became the leading power in the ancient world.

In recent years, we have seen many heads of conglomerates attempting to embezzle money for their own personal gain. These officials have been prosecuted for their irregularities.

Now, more than ever, we need to take a close look at what the Romans did, following the philosophy of noblesse oblige. If the more affluent members of our society were more generous, perhaps SNU would lose its stigma.

If these privileged members of society gave back to the country that helped them get so far, perhaps there would be less talk of closing SNU.

Even though having SNU does create competition, it’s still important to have some competition so that the really talented students have a chance to work with the best teachers.

If these brilliant students are able to reach their full potential, and they are also taught noblesse oblige, they can do great things for our society.

If SNU is shut down, another university will just take its place. Therefore shutting down SNU or changing it to become more like other national universities will not solve a fundamental problem. It will not alleviate educational competition in our society, nor will it encourage noblesse oblige.

Later, talented students will develop to enjoy prosperous futures, they should continue to care for the underprivileged and actively participate in volunteer work, ultimately sharing the benefits they achieve. If SNU graduates followed noblesse oblige for our society, who would ever want to close SNU?

The writer is a sophomore studying chemistry at Seoul National University.