A Cynic Looks at Life

Cynic Looks at Life, A

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Title: A Cynic Looks at Life Little Blue Book #1099
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Editor: E. Haldeman-Julius
Release Date: July 21, 2005 [EBook #16340]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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LOOKS AT LIFE ***

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LITTLE BLUE BOOK NO. 1099 Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius
A Cynic Looks at Life
Ambrose Bierce

HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY GIRARD, KANSAS
Copyright, 1912, by The Neale Publishing Company
Reprinted by Special Arrangement With Albert and Charles Boni, New
York
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A CYNIC LOOKS AT LIFE

CIVILIZATION
I
The question "Does civilization civilize?" is a fine example of petitio
principii, and decides itself in the affirmative; for civilization must
needs do that from the doing of which it has its name. But it is not
necessary to suppose that he who propounds is either unconscious of
his lapse in logic or desirous of digging a pitfall for the feet of those
who discuss; I take it he simply wishes to put the matter in an
impressive way, and relies upon a certain degree of intelligence in the
interpretation.
Concerning uncivilized peoples we know but little except what we are
told by travelers--who, speaking generally, can know very little but the
fact of uncivilization, as shown in externals and irrelevances, and are
moreover, greatly given to lying. From the savages we hear very little.
Judging them in all things by our own standards in default of a
knowledge of theirs, we necessarily condemn, disparage and belittle.
One thing that civilization certainly has not done is to make us
intelligent enough to understand that the contrary of a virtue is not
necessarily a vice. Because, as a rule, we have but one wife and several
mistresses each it is not certain that polygamy is everywhere--nor, for
that matter, anywhere--either wrong or inexpedient. Because the
brutality of the civilized slave owners and dealers created a conquering
sentiment against slavery it is not intelligent to assume that slavery is a

maleficent thing amongst Oriental peoples (for example) where the
slave is not oppressed. Some of these same Orientals whom we are
pleased to term half-civilized have no regard for truth. "Takest thou me
for a Christian dog," said one of them, "that I should be the slave of my
word?" So far as I can perceive, the "Christian dog" is no more the
slave of his word than the True Believer, and I think the
savage--allowing for the fact that his inveracity has dominion over
fewer things--as great a liar as either of them. For my part, I do not
know what, in all circumstances, is right or wrong; but I know that, if
right, it is at least stupid, to judge an uncivilized people by the
standards of morality and intelligence set up by civilized ones. Life in
civilized countries is so complex that men there have more ways to be
good than savages have, and more to be bad; more to be happy, and
more to be miserable. And in each way to be good or bad, their
generally superior knowledge--their knowledge of more things--enables
them to commit greater excesses than the savage can. The civilized
philanthropist wreaks upon his fellows a ranker philanthropy, the
civilized rascal a sturdier rascality. And--splendid triumph of
enlightenment!--the two characters are, in civilization, frequently
combined in one person.
I know of no savage custom or habit of thought which has not its mate
in civilized countries. For every mischievous or absurd practice of the
natural man I can name you one of ours that is essentially the same.
And nearly every custom of our barbarian ancestors in historic times
persists in some form today. We make ourselves look formidable in
battle--for that matter, we fight. Our women paint their faces. We feel it
obligatory to dress more or less alike, inventing the most ingenious
reasons for doing so and actually despising and persecuting those who
do not care to conform. Almost within the memory of living persons
bearded men were stoned in the streets; and a clergyman in New York
who wore his beard as Christ wore his, was put into jail and variously
persecuted till he died.
Civilization does not, I think, make the race any better. It makes men
know more: and