And confronting these men, wild and terrible as we agree that they were, there were men of quite another kind, smiling and adorned with ribbons and stars, silk stockinged, yellow gloved and with polished boots; men who insisted on the preservation of the past, of the Middle Ages, of divine right, of bigotry, ignorance, enslavement, the death penalty and war, and who, talking in polished undertones, glorified the sword and the executioners' block. For our part, if we had to choose between the barbarians of civilization and those civilized upholders of barbarism we would choose the former.
This quote presents a compelling critique of the paradoxes within human civilization and the often deceptive nature of perceived morality and progress. Victor Hugo emphasizes that beneath the veneer of refinement and civility lie individuals advocating for brutal practices rooted in tradition, authority, and ignorance. The depiction of these men as smiling, adorned, and speaking smoothly hides their dangerous endorsement of practices such as the death penalty, war, and religious or political bigotry. Hugo challenges the reader to reconsider the true nature of civilization. Is it truly characterized by outward appearances and superficial decorum, or by the underlying values and actions? The dichotomy he draws—between the so-called barbarians and the civilizers—provokes us to reflect on the hypocrisy often present in societal structures that claim to uphold morality but perpetuate violence and backward ideals. Often, history and contemporary society reveal that those who outwardly appear refined may endorse or hide heinous ideologies. This quote thus urges vigilance against superficial judgments and a deeper examination of what constitutes true civilization—perhaps one that resists barbarism in both savage and 'civilized' forms. It calls us to recognize the pitfalls of legitimacy based solely on tradition and outward appearance, advocating for genuine moral progress that discards barbarism altogether.
