“The word Civilization itself rarely appears in academic texts or in journalism without the use of ironical quotation marks, as if civilization were a mythical creature like the Loch Ness monster of the Abominable Snow man, and to believe in it were a sign of philosophical naivete. Brutal episodes, as are all too frequent in history, are treated as demonstrations that civilization and culture are a sham, a mere mask for crassly material interests–as if there were any protection from man’s permanent temptation to brutality except his striving after civilization and culture. At the same time, achievements are taken for granted, as always having been there, as if man’s natural state were knowledge rather than ignorance, wealth rather than poverty, tranquility rather than anarchy. It follows that nothing is worthy of, or requires, protection and preservation, because all that is good comes about as a free gift of nature.”
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