The true meaning of civilisation has not become hundred percent
clear despite many centuries of so called civilized life. Each nation, or
society, calls itself civilized without exactly knowing the real connotation
of civilisation. Even backward nations have something to fall back upon;
they harp upon their glorious’ past and their heritage in case they cannot
boast of any positive achievements in the twentieth century. They credit
themselves with spiritual metaphysical traits and are at pains to prove their
superiority over advanced modern societies which have worked through
materialistic’ values of life which are beyond their reach. Science,
technology and modern inventions are spurned at because they distract
their attention from other-worldly’ pursuits that their respective religious
imbibe.
Civilisation cannotes ‘culture’ and refinement, the qualities of head
and heart of man, which lift him above the state of primitive man. Love,
charity, spirit and sacrifice, regard for truth and honesty as well as a sense
of responsibility to the state and society are some of the essential
characteristics of a civilized person in modern society. It is worthwhile to
compare these characteristics of the modern age with those of earlier ages.
There are evident points of contrast, we find. The modern comforts of life
which were similarly absent in the other civilisations. The term ‘material
comforts of life’ implies good food, sound health, good clothing, nice
shelter, nice company, a high standard of living as well as peace and
security are considered more important than the aspects related to spiritual
pursuits which are intended to lead to peace and happiness of the soul,
thus elevating it to Goodhood.
In modern civilisation the pursuit of material wealth, rather than
spiritual, has became an all-engrossing, all-embracing, pursuits.
Wordsworth called this state of affairs that were fast gripping industrial
England in the nineteenth century in his beautiful sonnets:- “The World is too much”; according to him, material wealth is a “lorded boon’ to which
we have given our hearts away’. Earning and spending have become all
the important occupations of man. Nevertheless, this pursuit of material
values of life is considered a healthy activity that leads to the promotion of
industries and employment. It leads to the general increase in the national
dividend and utilisation of the resources of country for the satisfaction of
the various requirements of its citizens. This very “sordid” pursuits goes
to provide for employment to workmen, facilities to business for
investment and expansion of productive activities and thereby revenue to
the state. In modern civilization, a factory giving employment to a few
thousand people is considered to be a wiser national investment than the
setting up of a poorhouse which may provide merely food and shelter to an
equal number.
The next important characteristic of modern civilisation is the
importance given to one’s appearance, thus forgetting that appearances are
often deceptive. A person is judged by the dress he wears, his general
demeanour and the connections he has rather than the intrinsic qualities he
may possess. The advanced Western nations have contributed to the inflow
of sex and promiscuity in the modern society.
We can notice quite a few other characteristics of modern
civilisation in the context of our society. Education has come to play a
significant role in person’s life; it is no longer the domain of the privileged
few. Opportunities are offered to every individual to educate him and his
progeny as ignorance and illiteracy have had their sway over the masses
for centuries and their evil effects are too well known to be by passed.
Elementary education is provided free of cost to all those who are willing
to benefit. community. Health Schemes have added to the general health
and well being of the masses.
Independence, and with it the advent of modern scientific ideas and
achievement have contributed to higher moral and patriotic character. The
people are now conscious of their freedom and are enlarging their outlook
from the narrow bounds of their castes, creed, religion are community.
Time is not far off when a national barrier will also be a hindrance in the
free and creative thinking of the modern man and we shall, indeed, be able
to have a wider, more varied and exciting international out look. There is
an urgency in the common man to-day which impels to take an active
interest in the happening around him. International cooperation and co-
existence is being practised all around. The advanced nations are fast coming to the rescue of their less fortunate brethren, thus fastening
common global ties. Modern civilisation has given an impetus to a feeling
of fellow sympathy and brotherhood among the various peoples.
loosening
With the broadening of outlook, modern civilisation has
strengthened the bounds of nationalism and inter-nationalism at the
expense of family ties. The old joint-family system is going away.
Relationships except when they are from the direct line, are
their grip. The family is now narrowing down and it includes only man,
wife and their children. Family planning has led to the thinning of the
family and very seldom do modern parents have more than two or three
children compared to the average of eight to ten children for family a few
decades ago. The joint family that housed together a hundred a hundred
members with the four walls of a single house and stood firm like a rock
against shocks and setbacks has been broken up into a number of small
families living separately generally from hand to mouth and with no
stamina or protection, from misfortunes or distress or illness. The solid
and strong responsibilities which the joint family system produced are no
longer to be seen in the modern society where the head of the small family
unit has to fight his way singly, devoid of the strong protection of the
united living of a large joint family.
Despite these handicaps, modern civilisation may be considered
superior to and better than the older civilization in many ways. Even
though there is a trend towards individualism, the collective feelings of
community, nation and the world as a whole have greatly developed and
there is now a greater sense of unity in the making. Science and
technology have brought human beings together by speedy means of
transport and communication, thereby the minds and thinking of human
beings, closer. Whereas man has gained an individual freedom, his
common existence has been bound strongly with other human beings.
If mankind is able to do some constructive thinking in the direction
of removal of ignorance, illiteracy, want, inequality and injustice and if it
can also prevent the scourge of future wars, modern civilisation would be
something really to be proud of, we would have achieved a miracle that
has been man’s ideal since the millennium. Although scientific progress in
Pakistan is not yet up to the mark, it can be safely predicted that Pakistan
is now taking her legitimate place as a civilized and developing nation
though she is still far behind in the race of progress and scientific advancement, the fact cannot be denied that Pakistan is now one of the
important state of the world.