The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races: With Particular Reference to Their Respective Influence in the Civil and Political History of MankindGobineau, Arthur, comte de
Philosophy
The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races: With Particular Reference to Their Respective Influence in the Civil and Political History of Mankind
Each one will think him the man most advanced in
civilization who shall coincide with his views about the respective
duties of the governing and the governed; while those who are
unfortunate enough to differ, will be set down as men behind the age,
little better than barbarians, mere "old fogies," whose visual organs
are too weak for the dazzling lights of the epoch; or else as daring,
incendiary innovators, who wish to destroy all established order, and
sap the very foundation of civilization. I think few will differ from me
in considering Mr. Guizot's definition as defective, and the source from
which he derives civilization as not the real one.
Let us now examine Baron W. Von Humboldt's definition. "Civilization,"
says that celebrated statesman, "is the humanization of nations in their
outward institutions, in their manners, and in the inward feelings upon
which these depend."[96]
Here we meet with a defect of the very opposite kind to that which I
took the liberty to point out in Mr. Guizot's definition. The formula is
too vague, the boundary lines too indistinct. If civilization consists
in a softening of manners, more than one untutored tribe, some extremely
low in the scale of races, might take precedence over several European
nations whose character contains more acerbity. There are in the South
Sea Islands, and elsewhere, very inoffensive populations, of
exceedingly gentle manners, and kind, accommodating dispositions; yet,
though we may praise them, no one would think of placing them, in the
scale of civilization, above the rough Norwegians, or even above the
ferocious Malays, who, dressed in brilliant garments of their own
fabric, and upon skilfully constructed vessels of their own making,
traverse the Indian seas, at the same time the terror and scourge of
maritime commerce, and its most successful votaries. This observation
could not escape so great a mind as William Von Humboldt's; and he
therefore imagines, besides civilization, a higher degree of
development, which he calls _culture_, and by which he declares that
nations gain, above their gentle manners, "_science and the arts_."[97]
When the world shall have arrived at this higher state, it will be
peopled by _affectionate_ and _sympathetic_ beings, very erudite,
poetic, and artistic, but, by reason of this same reunion of qualities,
ignoring the grosser wants of existence: strangers to the necessity of
war, as well as those of rude mechanical toil.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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