CULTURE, CIVILIZATION, MORALITY AND FREEDOM

The well respected psychiatrist and author, Dr. Robert Coles, has noted in his writings that children in their early years possess knowledge of right and wrong. Based upon his observations and studies, Dr. Coles has observed that children begin to understand the difference between right and wrong by listening and observing each other. There seems to be an ethical compass within each child at a very early age, thus enabling an ethical system to develop within the child. Unfortunately, this ethical system often breaks down as the cultural values of society inundate the child. Eventually, for many children, the cultural values have little to do with ethics, but rather much to do with self satisfaction and self glorification. Their early ethical system collapses under the weight of cultural values that emphasize self-gratification. Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, expressed the same observation in a speech in February of 1984 when he noted that “children who, before they are formally educated, react spontaneously against injustice. They give a spontaneous “yes” to what is good and true.”

During the first half of the 20^th century, the English journalist, writer, and philosopher, G.K. Chesterton, often wrote about culture, society, and civilization. He noted that as civilizations advanced in age and size, they tended to be more decadent and less free. In a civilization’s early stages of development, personal freedom and a firm moral standard seemed to be interrelated and dependent upon each other. Freedom was not a selfish, self centered concept of doing whatever an individual wanted, but rather the freedom to live according to and within the moral code of caring, not only for oneself but also for others. Government institutions were generally limited in scope and nature.  However, as civilizations grew larger and more complex, they tended to embrace large government structures, which often limited personal freedom. Society in these civilizations, while advanced in science and physical structure, became less and less moral and more decadent. Freedom became defined more frequently in terms of the rules set by a large secular government, rather than by the adherence to an external moral code. Freedom also became more self-centered.

Egypt, Carthage and Rome, three of the great Mediterranean civilizations in antiquity, demonstrated a much freer society in the initial development of their formation than in the later period of their existence. In the early days of Rome, there existed extensive personal and political freedom for Roman citizens. Roman society also reflected more ethical standards of behavior than it did in later ages. Freedom meant a willingness to live according to an ethical standard of behavior that was other centered. For example, Romans worshiped the goddess of fertility, requesting her help in conceiving and raising children. The primary purpose of sex was not personal gratification, though personal satisfaction and mutual loving between man and woman were considered an integral part of child raising. Abortion and other evils toward children were infrequent and were scorned. As Roman civilization developed, it fostered a change in the attitude toward sex; it then became self centered and less concerned about the creation of children. Abortion and infanticide became acceptable, even common. Interestingly, as Romans became more self-absorbed, defining freedom in terms of their self-centered concepts rather than in terms of common ethical standard, they began to lose their freedoms to an enlarged and dominating government structure. Roman civilization grew more and more decadent and less free.

In the West during the 20^th and early 21^st centuries, as Western Civilization “advanced” in scientific, technological and economic activities, it, similar to Rome and Egypt, tended to rely on larger and more intrusive governments. The West began to cede its Judeo- Christian moral standards to a secular attitude of “doing your own thing.”  Since governments became accountable to no external moral standards, governments soon became the instrument of populist dictators. In the early 20^th century, Germany was considered an advanced and moral society, yet it quickly succumbed to the diabolic scourge of Nazism. Russia also yielded to the evil of Stalinism. Both isms deprecated the individual and glorified the state.  In the West today, freedom is restricted to those in power. This power is exhibited in various forms and concepts of freedom, sometimes under the guise of choice as in the case of the slaying of one million plus babies that are killed through abortion each year in the United States. Additionally it is argued that only a secular government can solve individual problems, with no need for an external moral system as a guide.

The question that arises is, “When will the West, including the U.S., assign its freedom to the cultural values of the humanistic philosophy, so that power, not ethical values, becomes the decisive quality in the civilization”? The answer is, “It will occur when man is successful in eliminating religion and external moral systems from society; this will be done under the pretense of freedom.” This process is occurring today in most of western societies.

When will mankind remember the admonitions of Robert Coles, Joseph Ratzinger, and G.K. Chesterton about the failure of  secular cultural values and “advanced” civilizations to provide answers to the real needs of mankind?

Suggested Readings:

“Truth and Freedom” by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger is an essay available from a variety of sources on the Internet.

“The Everlasting Man” by G. K. Chesterton published by Ignatius Press