Felix Koneczny, Polish historian and investigator of civilization, developed a explanation of civilization in which he distinguished respective basic types of civilizations existing in human history.
Civilization is according to Konecznym “the method of collective life”. It distinguished many civilizations (pluralism) and denied the anticipation of a universal civilization. Civilizations are governed by the laws of civilization. Among them is the Latin civilization, which Koneczny considered to be the highest form of organization of social and cultural life. In his view, this civilization is an inheritance of ancient Greece and Rome, Christianity and medieval European order.
1. Definition and features of Latin civilization
The Latin civilization according to Koneczne is characterized by a set of fundamental values and principles that developed over the centuries. The most crucial of these are:
- Triad: Truth, Good and Beauty – According to Koneczny, these are basic ideas that form the improvement of Latin civilization societies. The designation of nonsubjective truth, ethical good and aesthetic beauty is the foundation of the social order.
- Personalism and Individualism – the individual is the most crucial subject of social life, and its rights and freedom are the primary value.
- Principle of subsidiarity – the power should act on the rule of subsidiarity, which means that the problems should be addressed at the lowest level of social organisation.
- Morality as the basis of law – Latin civilization shapes its legal norms based on Christian ethics, unlike another civilizations, where law can function independently of moral principles.
- Duality of public and private law – public law concerns relations between the state and citizens, while private law regulates relations between individuals.
- Rule of law (nomocracy) – the superiority of the law over political power, which prevents despotism and tyranny.
- Chapter of secular and spiritual power – the church and the state have separate competences, which prevents the submission of religion to politics and vice versa.
2. Roots and the improvement of Latin Civilization
Latin civilization derives from a combination of 3 traditions:
- Greek Heritage – philosophy, rationalism, discipline and culture of ancient Greece gave emergence to the improvement of logical thought and technological methodology.
- Roman Heritage “Roman law has become the foundation of Europe’s legal systems and has shaped the concept of justice.
- Christian Heritage – Christian ethics has shaped the moral basis of Latin civilization, introducing the concept of human dignity and mercy.
The mediate Ages, especially thanks to the scholastics and thoughts of St. Thomas of Aquinas, was a period of fixation and further improvement of this civilization. Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment affected its later fates, sometimes introducing fresh elements and sometimes weakening its basic pillars.
3. Confronting another civilizations
Conclusive compared Latin civilization with another types of civilization, specified as:
- Byzantine Civilization – characterized by etatism, bureaucracy and submission of religion to the state.
- Turkish Civilization – based on authoritarian power, militarism and deficiency of respect for individual rights of the individual.
- Jewish Civilization – According to Koneczny, it is based on the concept of spiritual law permeating all spheres of life.
- Arabic Civilization (Muslim) – is characterized by the strong influence of religion on social life and the law.
Conclusive believed that these civilizations were incompatible and could not be mixed without the hazard of weakening the identity and value of Latin civilization. He stressed that in Europe's past there has been many clashes between Latin civilization and others, leading to attempts to weaken or degeneration it.
4. Crisis and Future of Latin Civilization
According to Koneńska, the Latin civilization began to lose its position in the 19th and 20th centuries due to processes specified as:
- Secularization of public life and rejection of Christian ethics as the foundation of the law.
- The emergence of bureaucracy and the influence of Byzantine ideas on state structures.
- The increase in egalitarian and collective ideologies that weaken individualism.
- Moral relativism and rejection of nonsubjective values.
Despite these threats, Koneczny believed that the Latin civilization has a chance to survive, provided that it returns to its roots, strengthens moral and ethical principles, and rejects the influence of alien systems.
Summary
Latin civilization, according to Felix Koneczny, is the highest form of social organization, based on personalism, the regulation of law and Christian morality. Thanks to the legacy of the antiquity and Christianity, it has become the foundation of European culture and the strategy of values that dominated the Western planet for centuries. Despite many challenges and threats, Koneczny believed that maintaining its principles and protecting its foundations was crucial to the future of Europe and the Western world.
