Civilized society Quote by Lame Deer
““Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized men,we didn't have any kind of prison. Because of this, we had no delinquents. We had no locks nor keys and therefore among us there were no thieves. When someone was so poor that he couldn't afford a horse, a tent or a blanket, he would, in that case, receive it all as a gift. We were too uncivilized to give great importance to private property. We didn't know any kind of money and consequently, the value of a human being was not determined by his wealth. We had no written laws laid down, no lawyers, no politicians, therefore we were not able to cheat and swindle one another. We were really in bad shape before the white men arrived and I don't know how to explain how we were able to manage without these fundamental things that (so they tell us) are so necessary for a civilized society.””
About This Quote
Pre‑colonial societies lacked formal prisons, money, and laws, which shaped different conceptions of property and justice.
In simple terms: No prisons, money, or laws existed.
Key Takeaway
Understand cultural relativism.
Themes
history
indigenous wisdom
social structures
Mood
critical
educational
Type
Civilized society:0
Native american wisdom:1
Private property:0
Necessary Civilized:0
Civilized Men:0
Wealth Written:0
Gift Uncivilized:0
When to use this quote
- anthropology class
- museum exhibit
- policy debate
Key Concepts
property
justice
economics
Questions to Reflect On
- How did communal sharing function?
- What lessons apply today?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing past can ignore hardships.
![“I know that [civilized men] do nothing but boast incessantly of the peace and repose they enjoy in their chains… But when I see [barbarous man] sacrifice pleasures, repose, wealth, power, and life itself for the preservation of this sole good which is so disdained by those who have lost it; when I…” quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b98/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_born-free_i-know-that-civilized-men-do-nothing-but_1084258.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
