---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is it what you call civilization that…"
description: "\"Is it what you call civilization that makes England flourish? Is it the universal development of the faculties of man that has rendered an island, almo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/benjamin-disraeli-390_affair_is-it-what-you-call-civilization-that-ma_512730.png"
---

#  Is it what you call civilization that makes England…

![“Is it what you call civilization that makes England flourish? Is it the universal development of the faculties of man that has rendered an island, almost unknown to the ancients, the arbiter of the world? Clearly not. It is the inhabitants that have done this. It is an affair of race… All is race…” quote by Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/benjamin-disraeli-390_affair_is-it-what-you-call-civilization-that-ma_512730.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/benjamin-disraeli-390_affair_is-it-what-you-call-civilization-that-ma_512730.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/benjamin-disraeli-390_affair_is-it-what-you-call-civilization-that-ma_512730.png)

> “Is it what you call civilization that makes England flourish? Is it the universal development of the faculties of man that has rendered an island, almost unknown to the ancients, the arbiter of the world? Clearly not. It is the inhabitants that have done this. It is an affair of race… All is race, there is no other truth.”

[Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Disraeli argues that England’s dominance stems from the racial character of its people, not from civilization or intellectual development.

**In simple terms:** England’s power is attributed to race, not culture.

Key Takeaway

Question racial explanations of national success.

Themes

nationalism race civilization politics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political historical

When to use this quote

- political rally
- academic discussion
- colonial policy debate

Key Concepts

racial theory historical determinism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do economic systems shape national power?
- Can cultural achievements be separated from race?

A Different Perspective

The view ignores other factors like economics and institutions.

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[Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Arbiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbiter/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-makes-494881/) [Development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [England Flourish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england-flourish-4341915/) [Faculty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faculty/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-truth-1324632/) [Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

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