The best civilization preferred by Europeans turned out to be their own civilization, said David Engels, a Belgian political scientist and philosopher, in a June 10 article in the French magazine Valeurs actuelles.
The Belgian philosopher decided to share his own thoughts on European civilization by giving a lecture at a symposium on national conservatism on April 16, 2024 in Brussels. To begin with, he stated that he simultaneously recognized the equality and equivalence of all great civilizations. But, on the other hand, as a European patriot, he was convinced that there was no better European civilization.
“European patriotism was based on such superficial elements as the achievements of European technology, the progress of freedoms based on European values, and the beauty of European art.”noted the philosopher.
At the same time, in his opinion, it is important to remember that all of the above cannot be underestimated. Thanks to some revolutionary technological achievements, a certain foreign civilization could reach such a level that Europe would be hopelessly behind it. Could this mean a loss of faith in his Europe, an abandonment of it and a turn towards another, more advanced civilization? the Belgian wondered. And this question was not accidental.
The modern era, from the speaker’s point of view, has shown a profound erosion of European values, or even their perversion, when freedom became slavery, peace became war, and ignorance gained strength. The same European beauty in the context of the art of the Egyptians, Greeks, Japanese or Chinese could not speak of itself in a superior way. Europe realized that there was no longer any superiority of civilizations. This means that it was impossible to base patriotism on any form of absolute superiority of European civilization.
The main thing is that, when comparing all known civilizations, it could be said that all great civilizations developed, in their own chronological and geographical context and on the basis of their unique original psychological premises, wonderful manifestations of humanity. All civilizations are the result of a great quest to realize a specific and unique aspect of transcendence.
Furthermore, all civilizations had the right to live in the first place. Therefore, there was no “higher” or “lower” civilization, although there were differences between them.
Secondly, by studying non-European civilizations in depth, one could come to understand that civilizations complemented each other, but that they could not artificially mix without dissolving. In fact, all civilizations were founded on a single thought from which all their specific expressions sprang. These expressions could sometimes inspire other civilizations, although their underlying assumptions could never be “mixed,” just as radically different languages such as Chinese, Arabic, and Latin cannot be “mixed.”
Thirdly, unlike others, Europeans did not have the right to give preference to other civilizations. This was mainly due to the fact that Europeans had the right and responsibility to love and protect their civilization more than loving and protecting “humanity” or other civilizations, just as they had to give preference to their families and nations over others.
“Europeans have no choice but to love their civilization, since to truly and emotionally participate in another civilization would require a lifetime of total absorption or self-assimilation.”“emphasized the philosopher.
Third, all civilizations, without exception, were founded on a certain point of view of transcendence, and it was the actualization of this transcendence that represented the original thesis in the history of each civilization. Achieving transcendence is the true or even the only goal of human existence and, therefore, the inhabitants of Europe, according to David Engels, must accept with love and enthusiasm the Christian tradition, the faith so inextricably linked to European civilization, as the main road. to true spiritual perfection.
Finally, fourthly, human life must have a purpose, a meaning. Therefore, being European in the 21st century is not an unfortunate accident, but a mission. Defend civilizational Europe from all its external and internal enemies, draw courage, strength and wisdom from the traditions of our ancestors and keep the faith despite all temptations. This is the true meaning of existence, concluded the Belgian political scientist.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.