The Retreat of the Civilizing Process: Ignorance, Arrogance, and the Crisis of Power

Throughout history, civilization has been shaped by an ongoing struggle between progress and regression, wisdom and folly, empathy and cruelty. Norbert Elias’s Civilizing Process describes how societies evolve by gradually fostering self-restraint, ethical governance, and collective responsibility. Yet, as financial and political power become concentrated in the hands of a few, we must ask: Are we witnessing a retreat from civilization itself?

Ignorance and Arrogance: The Corruption of Justice

Ignorance alone does not disrupt civilization; it is when ignorance merges with arrogance—when those in power refuse to acknowledge the humanity and dignity of others—that we see the unraveling of moral order. Some individuals, propelled by unchecked influence, seek to deny others their basic rights: the right to nationality, prosperity, and self-determination. They dismiss the fundamental ideals embedded in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

But when ignorance prevails, these truths are distorted. When arrogance fuels oppression, these rights become conditional—granted only to those who fit certain fabricated criteria. Entire communities are classified through biased lenses, reinforcing exclusionary hierarchies that erode the foundations of justice.

Are We Retreating? The Signs of Regression

History is replete with moments when civilization faltered under the weight of concentrated power. The fall of democratic structures, the suppression of free thought, the normalization of violence—all are markers of regression, echoes of past failures we vowed never to repeat. But today, power no longer relies solely on brute force; it thrives on manipulation, the quiet erosion of ethical boundaries, and the deliberate weakening of accountability.

Consider the financial elite, whose unchecked influence dictates policy, shaping economic landscapes with little regard for those at the margins. Also consider political systems where authority is wielded not for collective progress but for personal gain. Finally, consider societies where disinformation replaces knowledge, where truth itself is contested, obscured by propaganda, and manufactured narratives. In such conditions, the civilizing process stalls—or worse, reverses.

What Can Be Done? Defending the Future of Civilization

Civilization does not advance on its own; it requires vigilance, resistance, and an unwavering commitment to ethical principles. It is sustained by those who refuse to let injustice become normalized, who recognize that the ability to harm—whether through policy, indifference, or direct oppression—is not a privilege but a profound ethical failing.

Empathy remains the cornerstone of progress. It is what separates those who build from those who destroy, what defines those who seek collective prosperity from those who revel in the suffering of others.

If civilization is to endure, then ignorance must be confronted with knowledge, arrogance with accountability, cruelty with justice. This is not an intellectual exercise—it is a necessity. The voices of those who understand this must not be silenced. They must be amplified, for in their words lies the hope that civilization is not merely surviving, but evolving.