It has been well accepted that human is a social animal, wherein the tag of ‘animal’ was purposely affixed after the word social, because basically humans are animals. They had succeeded in differentiating themselves from animals not only due to possession of power of deduction through reasoning, but also because of an ability of retention of knowledge gained through generations; and, also an ability to sharpen their intelligence through observing and understanding things happening around them.

Using all these above traits, humans formed civilizations. Formation of societies was an almost automatic or effortless process, while civilizations were made with a deliberate articulation and intellectual efforts of groups or individual members of a particular society. Civilization is a wider word which includes culture.

Literally speaking civilization means: ‘making or becoming civilized’; and, civility means: politeness. Antithesis of civilization is ‘barbarism’, which means ‘rude or uncultured state’; while’ barbarian means ‘uncivilized, wild or uncultured’.

Presence or absence of both these opposing states in a given society could be gauged from measuring how much of the animal part, always ingrained in humans, is tamed or remained in the majority of individuals in that society. Nobody can peep into the brains of a large number of people, but studying the collective or individual conduct and behaviour may clearly portray that state.

In almost every society of today or in the past, individuals belonging to these two opposing groups may be found. When we watch a society as a whole, of course the majority members of that society are counted. A wise man reflected the opposing positions in an old Sanskrit Schlock: “Yesham na vidya,tapo na danam, gyanam na sheelam……Manushya rupena mirga charanti.”  (Who has no education, no dedication, or gives no alms; nor knowledge nor politeness…….. Those people are animals in disguise of humans).

All the attributes which have been described here to be called civilized are solely related to a mental process or a mindset, and have got nothing to do with any other external parameters, — such as appearances, dresses or living styles etc. Thus it may be safely said that external parameters cannot make a society civilized, unless the collective mindset bear the said civil attributes, which have to be reflected from conduct and behavior.  

History is taught and read with a view to take lessons from the similar circumstances occurring elsewhere. When in the late nineteenth century Alexander ascended the Russian throne as Czar, he found entire Russian society to be living as barbarians. He went to Europe to study the causes of their progress. On his return he formulated nine mandatory rules to be followed by the entire Russian population, which included -every citizen had to wear European dress instead of a long robe, imposed a beard tax on those who sported a beard, every citizen had to dance with their wives etc. In due course mindsets of Russian society changed and the society was transformed into what we look at them today.