To define the characteristics of being civilized we must analytically look at the development of humans and compare it to the present. There are two distinguished concepts that have been used to guide what these characteristics should be. Throughout human history the concept of “Survival of the fittest” by Andrew Carnegie applied, but in today’s world our needs are different and this method of living needs to be adapted into something more fitting, and with that global concept being reformed we are defining what it is to be civilized and bringing in the concept of “We are all Africans” by George Eliot Clarke.
For many years we have been unearthing lost civilizations and studying them. Many, if not all, of these civilizations have been characterized by their tendencies to convey the concept of “Survival of the Fittest” by Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie states that wealth and power should rest in the hands of a few, and that it is essential for the advancement of the race. The Maltese civilization is an example of how this concept applied. They lived peacefully as there were no archaeological evidences of weapons or defense systems, and the skulls found were healthy indicating they lived sustainably. This civilization lasted for a grand 5000 years, but then they suddenly disappeared. A widely accepted theory as to what happened is that they were invaded and taken away as slaves. This would have been especially easy because they had no idea how to defend themselves, caused by being isolated. We see that it was the most equipped group that won over the more peaceful, sustainable one. The past necessitated this fight for survival because resources were sparse, and it eliminated the weak. Another example is the encounter of Homo sapiens sapiens and Neanderthals. The Homo sapiens sapiens were anatomically modern humans, who migrated from Africa to Europe around 50 000 years ago. The invasion of the Homo sapiens sapiens led to the extinction of the Neanderthals because of their superior tools and weapons, products of their intelligence. The Neanderthals, the weaker of the two groups, were wiped out because of the disorder brought about by the Homo sapiens sapiens. Throughout this whole time period leading up to the modern human, it was believed that aggression and conflict were the ways to conduct ones self. And that was correct, the fight was necessary in order to survive off of the bare necessities. But was that civilized? No it wasn’t. Now as time has passed people and civilizations have advanced, and knowledge has become more widespread; ignorance becoming a thing of the past.
Today we live in a world where everything is in our grasp, and competition is no longer necessary or needed. Andrew Carnegie’s concept no longer fits in this new world order; instead we can turn to George Eliot Clarke’s “We are all Africans”. Clarke values equality and the abolishment of war and social divisions. We have reached a state in our existence where we can rationalize, and search for the truth ourselves. We are at a point where we have choices, and can make rational decisions. Carnegie says “The contrast between the palace of the millionaire and the cottage of the laborer with us today measures the change which has come with civilization…it is upon us, beyond our power to alter, and there fore to be accepted and made the best of. It is a waste of time to criticize the inevitable.” This approach is wrong, because it is evitable. Clarke’s “We are all Africans” is a better model to define the world we are living in, one where “…life renders us equal…we should seek to nurture life in harmony with other creatures…we should abolish war…” The aggression and conflict of the past has come to characterize our social, economic, and religious systems so much that many have surrendered to the view that this behavior is intrinsic to human nature and is inevitable. But those were ways of the past that we can now see are unnecessary and avoidable. By accepting that we are good we will set in motion constructive social forces, which are coherent with human nature, and will lead to harmony and cooperation instead of war and conflict.
Carnegie’s model of the past does not define what it means to be civilized. If saying that inevitable competition is civilized, then that would classify animals as civilized as well. Human beings now have the ability to rise above the animalistic world, which is what represents a civilized being. Clarke’s views support the best definition of civilized. He says we have “…the right to remake the world in our own image.” To do this, we have to know what our own image is. Universal ethics and values are now needed. This need is a new concept as we move towards a global community and human interdependence, something that has never before been necessary. The evolution of humanity to this stage is analogous to the growth of a human being. We started off as infants (primitive human beings), and then went into childhood (ancient civilizations), now we are entering our adolescence. We are in a turbulent period where we are gaining the ability to make conscious decisions. We are not denying our past, but we must acknowledge that competition and war were expressions of immaturity, and we are overcoming them. Carnegies model is automatically making the choice to cling to old patterns of behavior, instead of growing up, and working towards humanity’s long awaited coming of age. To be civilized is; to have authentic relationships; to live a life where ones self worth isn’t measured through competition with others but by the degree to which one improves his or her talents; to strive for knowledge; to have purity of motive; to promote moral behavior by encouraging individuals to develop a moral conscience.
The Maltese and the Homo sapiens sapiens were examples of the way civilizations worked in the past, and contrast the direction in which we are headed. To be civilized today encompasses several concepts that haven’t always been apparent throughout human history. As the world is changing from Carnegie’s “Survival of the fittest” to Clarke’s “We are all Africans” we can begin to embrace these new and tangible qualities.
No comments:
Post a Comment