The Moral Implications of Oretga and Gasset's Account of Barbarism - Essay Example

For example, missionaries of humanity civilize savage race by using sword and fire because there is no other method than violence to transform the savage people from their way of life. After applying these violent methods, principles of civilization gradually develops and creates various forms of a human being’s spiritual manifestation that are called philosophy, religion, art and science and other forms of social life that enable an individual to enjoy freedom, security, leisure and self manifestation in greater spheres of activity.

Thus barbarism transforms itself into civilization. As mentioned earlier, civilization is the beginning of all principles and ideas and all the knowledge for this transformation comes from the ideas preserved during the previous civilization. However, simultaneous to the beginning of civilization destruction and violence also arises and as a result, barbarism grows along with civilization. The parallel growth of barbarism side by side with the civilization can be easily traced in our society.

In ancient times, the savage used to kill his enemy and in the cultured times, man has a wide range of technical devices, explosives, aero planes, poisonous gas and submarines to get rid of the enemy. These sophisticated weapons are the modern forms of the club and they are different only in the power and action. These are the civilized means of destruction and this cultured method and means of violence is the culture of barbarism (Ouspensky p.39). Barbarism thus exists in our society in the form of violence to gain control over another state, religion, morals and ideas and in the every other factor imaginable.

The basic ambition of a modern society, its interests and tastes comprises of barbaric traits. The passion for competition, gambling, sport and the idea to influence, and behaviors like fear, panic and suspicion are features of barbarism. These features flourish in our daily life through technical culture by means of telegraph, quick means of communication, wireless telegraphy and the like. Culture has established a differentiation between itself and barbarism. The manifestation of barbarism in the society is called crime.

Prevailing criminology is insufficient to separate barbarism because crime is an infringement of law and law are usually a manifestation of violence and barbarism. Though the culture of civilization and barbarism develops simultaneously these two factors cannot sustain in the society indefinitely. A moment inevitably arrives when barbarism stops the development of civilization, and swiftly or gradually, completely destroys civilization (Ouspensky p.40) Why is philosophical barbarism important to the reader?

The difference between barbarism and non barbarism is. Ortega y Gasset implicates that the people in modern society has the right to change and impose law directly. The common man has freedom to proclaim the rights and impose them wherever necessary. This indirectly means that common man can control the process of civilization even if there is no progress in it. It is indeed extremely complex to preserve the current civilization that requires incalculably subtle powers. Even if a person is unfit to change the civilization, the common man has learned to utilize the advantages of the machinery built by the civilization by ignoring the principles of the civilization.

The command of leaders over the public even though they are intellectually vulgar is not acceptable to culture because