The Construction and Irony of the Narrative of"Civilization and Barbarism"
"Civilization"is a concept originated by Europeans in the Enlightenment era of the 18th century,used to refer to a so-cial group that is elegant,cultured,well-behaved,and virtuous.With the social evolution and ideological changes in modern Eu-rope,the connotation of"civilization"has become increasingly complex and diverse.The academic community has constructed va-rious theories around"civilization",such as the theory of civilization hierarchy,civilization forms,the end of history,clash of civ-ilizations,and civilization interaction,most of which uphold the ideology of racial and cultural superiority and the binary narrative of"civilization and barbarism".However,theories like civilization interaction provide us with an important methodology for a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse development and laws of human civilization.Modernization refers to a profound trans-formation in human history since the Industrial Revolution,where advanced technological,industrial,ideological,and institutional elements penetrate into politics,economy,society,culture,and thought,exerting significant influence and driving the transition of human civilization from traditional to modern society.Modernization is an ongoing process of evolution without a unified standard,and it is not a fixed model of"modernization equals westernization".In conclusion,western capitalism has greatly promoted the development of social productive forces and made significant historical contributions.However,western civilization has shown two faces in its long historical evolution:civilization and barbarism,the irony of"universal values"and imperial hegemony.
civilization and barbarismEuropean civilizationwestern modernization modelcivilization standardsciviliza-tion paradox
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