The Civilized Barbaric Paradox

Civilization is characterized by the existence of popularly accepted institutions which expedite and facilitate collective and cooperative social living. Barbarism, ordinarily, focuses more upon individuals, families, clams or tribes, while consciously setting themselves against any broader Society. Many Barbaric individuals will respect at least their family, some their Clan, a few their Tribe… only the most sociopathic of Barbarians being entirely individualistic to the exclusion of everybody else, but in relation to those outside of their closed system of local loyalties, they will be prone to enmity, competition, hostility and even violence.

Civilizations foster acceptance, peace and cooperation. Barbarism either encourages conflict, or the simple void of Civilized institutions allow for conflict by default, where the absence of Order is an undersigned and dreadful Chaos.

But, while reviewing History, we can notice that Civilizations collapse into ruin when their Institutions that had fostered cooperation and collective living fall victim to exceptions, exemptions, moratoriums, skepticisms and various Cults for the advancement of Individualism. There can appear a great deal of propaganda that Socially Binding Institutions can be seen to impair the potential of any individual to attain unlimited Wealth and Power, and are therefore to be considered as disruptive of “progress”. Powerful “Individuals” arise within Civilizations who advance the notion that the Institutions that had made Civilization possible only hold back further developments, that is, tacitly, they maneuver for their own acquisition of a greater share of Wealth and Power then they could accrue without competition and conflict. Effectively they argue for a general return to Barbarism, as they assume that when everything collapses, they will be able to pick up more pieces then they started with.

Yet on the fringes of Civilization, or within the marginalized proletariat of a Civilization, which we would ordinarily describe as Barbarian, we may notice trends toward Collective Behavior. One of the most remarkable instances in History was the extent to which Genghis Khan had been able to organize the loyalties of so many Mongol Tribes and Clans. It was largely a personal achievement, not lasting past a generation, but it indicated a propensity or possibility that the Mongol People could eventually submit to some level of social organization. Even in recent History we can notice a kind of incipiently civilized trend toward cooperation and collectivity in Barbarian Societies – for instance, the German People, the most resilient Barbarians of the West, traditionally opposing institutions intended to pacify them, were extremely motivated to a kind of Collective Organization, first under the Nazis, and then, with East Germany, an impulse for Socialism, which was greeted enthusiastically by at least a segment of the population (as so many Olympic Gold Medals over the years are evidence of some cooperative living at the highest possible levels).
So, while we see Civilizations willingly throwing themselves into unregulated conflict, class warfare and ethnic genocide – all to advance the pursuit of individual wealth and power; we can see that the Barbarians, who already have every Freedom, binding themselves together for the benefit of Collective Power and the general prosperity that can only be attained by a broad and inclusive level of social Cooperation.

The ability of a Civilization to sustain itself against the rise of Individualism, or even for a Barbarian Community to eventually arrive at a Level of Civilization, depends upon the quality and utility of its Institutions for Cooperation and Collectivism. A review of History shows us three factors essential for the advancement and longevity of a Civilization. There must be a strong Central Government able to exert a controlling power over an effectively Universal Jurisdiction. A Religion, or internalized and accepted belief system that makes ethics and morality a matter of self-enforced self-discipline. As Louis the XIV pointed out, one can have Religion or an Absolute Police State. In Societies where Religion has been weakened or destroyed, customs and traditions of moral behavior degrade over time and eventually only the threats of Law Enforcement can maintain order. It is so much better to have a thriving Religion that effectively makes moral and ethical behavior voluntary. Then, the final factor for a viable Civilization is the imposition of institutions that limit the acquisition of Private Wealth to levels that can not challenge or threaten the Public Wealth that alone can maintain the Social Infrastructure – Security, Transportation, Disaster Aid, Education – the building blocks and benefits of Civilization. Particularly important are Taxes.

Some Historians point out that there had been 21 Civilizations and they had all collapsed largely from the mechanics of Concentration of Wealth into Private Hands and away from the Civilized and Collective Infrastructures. Mostly we see that the Wealthy were able to have themselves exempted from Taxation, while impoverishing the remaining Tax Base, thus starving the Government and the other elements of the Collective Institutions into disrepair or breakdown.

Today we are struck with so much propaganda that tells us how destructive taxation is, but actually History shows us that when Civilization can still collect taxes, then they thrive, but it is only when taxation has been restricted, and the principle of Taxation is generally attacked, that Civilizations are on the brink of collapse.

So, as Civilized as a Society assumes itself to be, when it begins to attack the principles of strong Central Government over Universal Jurisdictions, when it moves to discredit and weaken Religion, and when the mode of Tax Rebellion becomes general and popular, then it is actually moving toward actual Barbarism. But where Barbarian Societies, even while being immature in their motivations, accept the principles of expanding Governmental Jurisdiction, Religion, and acknowledge the necessity of a collective sacrifice to some model of progressive Taxation, then we may all step back and if not graciously welcome, then we can at least acknowledge the next Great World Civilization.