dunbar04
Author: Unknown
Date: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

ESSAY IV.

Of the Criterion of Civilized Manners.

The epithets barbarous and civilized occur so frequently in conversation and in books, that whoever employs his thoughts in contemplation of the manners and history of mankind, will have occasion to consider, with some attention, both what ideas these words are commonly meant to convey, and in what sense they ought to be employed by the historian, and moral philosopher.

It is of some importance surely, in every discussion relative to human affairs, to have ascertained before-hand what are those qualities in the manners and characters of different nations, which, according to the estimation of reason, after an impartial survey of mankind, as they are and have been, may justify the imposition of names implying almost unlimited censure or applause,

Perhaps, on examination, it will not appear that any simple criterion, of civilization and barbarity, taken either from laws, or manners, or any other circumstance in human affairs, can be fixed upon, as corresponding to the general use which is made of these terms, and fitted to explain their application in particular cases.

That civilization, so highly extolled, is plainly understood, by its admirers, to be somewhat of a mixed and complicated nature, comprehending various constituent parts, some essential to its very existence, some only accessory and ornamental. In the total absence of the former of these, Barbarity, according to the general acceptation of the word, seems to be understood to consist.

Warm and steady affections in private life, an honourable fidelity to engagements, whether express or implied, the order of internal laws, equity and humanity in their conduct towards strangers, and foreign nations, will be insisted upon by all as essential to the character of a civilized people. The sciences, and fine arts, though not indispensably essential, must be esteemed very requisite: yet is not their influence exempted from some uncertainty and suspicion. The cultivation of real science, the love and study of the fine arts, while uncorrupted, add, no doubt, to the politeness, and improve the enjoyments, of civilized nations; but an attachment to false sciences (several of which, like astrology and magic, unsuspected while they flourish, have prevailed, and perhaps prevail), or a passion for spurious and grotesque imitations of the fine arts, as pantomimes, puppet-shows, masquerades, or the laboured decoration of gardens and parterres, cannot improve, and may degrade, in a certain degree, the character of those nations by whom they are cherished.

The vulgar and commercial arts, subservient to the plenty, accommodation, and elegance of ordinary life, seem almost of an indifferent nature.

Although by these the manners of civilized nations may be embellished, yet the highest degrees of generous virtue, and the truest politeness of mind, may be found among nations to whom these arts are almost totally unknown.

If this be a full enumeration of the qualities which, in the general sense of mankind, are understood to constitute civilized manners, and a just account of their respective importance; it deserves to be adverted to, that not nation has ever possessed them all in their highest excellence, nor has any subsisted as a people (short periods of convulsion and anarchy excepted), without a very considerable degree of one or more of those which are to be accounted most essential.

Were it not then better to set aside from correct reasoning the too general terms of barbarous and civilized, substituting in their room expressions of more definite censure and approbation?

Indeed the common acceptation of these words is founded upon a very general, but very false and partial opinion of the state of mankind. It supposes that the difference between one nation and another may be prodigiously great; and some happy and distinguished tribes of men are, in all respects, generous, liberal, refined, and humane; while others, from their hard fate, or their perverseness, remain in all respects illiberal, mischievous, and rude.

The general supposition with regard to the condition of human nature, is implied in that opinion of their own superiority over other nations, which Europeans are prone to entertain: a superiority which, like that assumed by the Greeks, the Romans, and the Chinese, is supposed by those who claim it to be absolute and immense; yet, if brought to the standard of virtue and felicity, it may appear very inconsiderable in respect of the populous Asiatic nations, who have flourished long under extensive monarchies, and not very great in respect even of the simplest and rudest race of men inhabiting the frozen shores of Greenland, or placed beneath the fervour of a vertical sun, along the Guinea coast, or on the Banks of the Orinoco.

It ought to be supposed that, if other nations were as far inferior to us, as we are willing to imagine, their condition would evidently tend to decay and extermination. With regard to the inferior orders of being, both animal and vegetable, it seems to be a law of nature, that, wherever they cannot attain, in some very considerable degree, the honours, if I may so speak, and the emoluments of their existence, there they gradually decline, and at last cease to exist at all. Is man an exception from the general law? or may it not rather be believed, that, wherever any tribes of mankind subsist, and do not manifestly decay and hasten to extermination, there, though appearances belie it, they must have attained a measure of worth and of felicity not much inferior to that which the most admired nations have actually attained?

The opinions of the vulgar suggested by instinctive propensities, not formed by reasoning, always ascribe to the progress of science and of art, wherever they have once apprehended the idea of this progress, a superiority of the most decisive kind, in all that is fortunate and desirable in the lot of man. But speculative reasoners are not wholly agreed on this head.

The greater number indeed have embraced, and by their eloquence they illustrate and enforce, this opinion so natural to the crowd, and, with them, they extol this progress as essential to the very existence of the human character.

But of late, a few [Rousseau, and those who have embraced his opinions] not inferior in sagacity to any, and more inquisitive perhaps, in this research, than those who have followed the generally received opinion, have found reason to decry this progress as the fertile source of corruption, debasement, and infelicity.

Between these opposite opinions the truth, as in many other cases, will probably be found. The beneficial influence of this progress is real, yet far inferior to what the panegyrists of science and art have represented it to be, and just barely enough to reward that continual pursuit which it solicits from every nation once engaged in this career.

It will not however follow, if the condition of the most improved and refined nations be admitted very little to excel in felicity or worth the simplest and rudest tribes of men, that the inducements to further progress in pursuit of improvement are taken away, or indeed diminished.

To nations of men, as to individuals, it happens often, that they are allured by the splendor of a distant object, to pursue it with more ardour than it appears on attainment to have deserved. They are then apt to complain of fallacious appearances, and to wonder that the system, of which they are a part, should expose them to such delusions. But though their industry may have been roused and excited by a certain degree of delusive splendor, without the charms of which it might not have been awakened at all, they are never cheated of its proper reward. Some real good, however inferior to that expected, or different from it, is generally obtained at the close of every pursuit; and whatever may appear deficient then, has been before enjoyed in detail, as it accompanied the progress of their endeavours.

Were indeed both the progressive reward of well-directed industry, and that which is obtained at the termination of its endeavours, much inferior to their usual amount, one powerful reason would still remain to impel mankind to the pursuit of every attainable object, and to make them aspire after every apparent improvement of their actual condition, whatever it may be.

––- Omnia fatis

In pejus ruere, ac retro sublapsa referri,

Ni vis humana ––—

The first course of time is continually taking away from that which we possess, and from the high perfection of whatever we have cultivated and refined. Nothing ever stands still. If progress is not made, we must decline from the good state already attained, and as it is scarcely ever in our power to replace the waste of time and of chance in those very respects in which they have impaired our condition, we ought to endeavour to compensate these inevitable losses, by the acquisition of other advantages and augmentations of good; especially of those which the same course of things brings forward to our view, and seems to present to us as the object of reasonable desire.