"Barbarism is the absence of standards to which appeal can be made"

Jose Ortega y Gasset observes the heart of civilization’s fragility by linking the concept of barbarism not necessarily with violence or chaos, but with the deeper absence of universally acknowledged standards. Standards, in his view, are the agreed-upon reference points, moral, intellectual, aesthetic, or social, that allow for dialogue, critique, and the peaceful resolution of differences. When societies or cultures possess such standards, individuals and groups can orient their behavior, judge their own actions and those of others, and meaningfully participate in collective life.

Barbarism arises when these standards erode or are rejected altogether. In such a situation, there is no recognized foundation upon which judgments can be based or disputes settled. Every claim becomes as valid as any other, making conversation fruitless and argumentation futile. Lacking a shared yardstick, mutual understanding collapses and society devolves into atomized subjectivity, where power and force take precedence over reason, persuasion, or justice.

Ortega’s insight suggests that civilization depends not just on progress, technology, or order, but on the existence of commonly accepted criteria against which actions and ideas can be measured. These standards might be legal codes, ethical traditions, scientific methods, or cultural customs. Their absence leads to a kind of cunning or raw immediacy: norms are replaced by impulses, customs by convenience, ethics by expediency.

In this sense, barbarism is not a distant or alien phenomenon, but an ever-present risk lurking beneath the surface of modernity. Without vigilance in nurturing and renewing our shared standards, through education, dialogue, and reflection, barbarism may seep into the cracks of our institutions and daily behavior. Ortega’s warning prompts a renewed appreciation of the invisible bonds that hold society together, reminding us that civilization is not guaranteed, but must be continually reaffirmed by our collective commitment to standards beyond ourselves.