In his philosophies and religions, man has often referred to human dignity. He has defined this dignity as certain human characteristics and qualifications which transcend those of what he refers to as lower animals.

Loss of human dignity is held to be any deviation from those standards attributed to homo sapiens, or rational man. A civilized society, therefore, is one that promotes those cultures, activities, and functions which have become associated with human dignity and with moral idealism.

One of such most crucial embers of a progressive society is refinement of self. It is the evolution of consciousness, of sensitivity or awareness of the nature of one’s indwelling powers. Can we call a people truly civilized, no matter how complex and advanced their technology or even their pure science, if its self remains as brutal or savage as that of a wild beast?

How civilized is a man, no matter what his handicraft, who fails to exhibit those characteristics by which man has claimed pre-eminence for himself in the hierarchy of living things?

Materialism is now being very definitely associated with the mark of progressive societies and particularly so today. Vices and corruption in society appear less and less malevolent to many if luxury and the power of acquisition are prominently displayed as a result of them. In fact, these latter becomes symbols of capacity if the acquisitionists surround themselves with the habiliments of progressive materialism.

But this decline of personal refinement, of the cultural development of self, eventually brings on a degeneration of society. The refinement of environment, with no corresponding self-discipline and cultivation of the higher sentiments and emotions, finally results in an inner coarseness. Then society actually begins to retrogress.

When this refinement of personal self continues to dissipate, it is not long before even true statesmanship disappear, for there-upon is the principal leg upon which a sound society must stand.

There is too much evaluation of progress in terms of diminishing labor and the acquiring of further hours of leisure. There is too much judging of the value of life as being the satisfaction of the gross appetites. There is too little concern about any goals, new creations, which will represent or express those very qualities which have given man his distinction as a human being. And the danger is hovering over us all like an absurd goblin and we just have to do a detour.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

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