Civilized society is perpetually menaced with disintegration

Hear now the somber voice of Sigmund Freud, the physician of the soul, who peered not at flesh and bone but at the hidden chambers of the human spirit. He declared: “Civilized society is perpetually menaced with disintegration through this primary hostility of men towards one another.” In this utterance, he lays bare a truth that kings have feared, prophets have warned, and generations have witnessed: beneath the polished mask of civility, there lurks the eternal struggle of man against man.

For though we build temples of justice and towers of law, though we crown rulers and write codes upon stone, the heart of man yet burns with envy, pride, and hunger for dominion. This hostility is not born of circumstance alone, but is woven into our very being. Freud, who delved into the mysteries of the unconscious, saw that this dark force lies at the root of human conflict. It is why brothers quarrel, why neighbors envy, why nations march against nations. The threat of disintegration is ever at the gates, for the order of society is but a fragile shell stretched over the storm of our instincts.

Consider the tale of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam, whose story has echoed down the ages. They were brothers, born of the same blood, yet the flame of hostility consumed Cain’s heart when envy took root. In his wrath, he struck his brother down, staining the earth with the first fratricide. This ancient tale is more than myth—it is the mirror of Freud’s warning. If even in the dawn of humanity brother could slay brother, what chance does civilized society have unless it learns to tame this primal force?

History bears witness as well. Recall the great Roman Republic, a society built upon law, order, and citizenship. It stood as a beacon to the world, yet in its heart burned rivalries and ambitions unchecked. Senators schemed, generals sought power, and civil war erupted time and again. The Republic, though mighty, could not escape the disintegration born of human hostility. At last, it collapsed into the empire of Caesar, proof that even the grandest civilization may be undone when men forget brotherhood and surrender to hatred.

Yet, O children of the future, despair not. For though the danger is ever present, so too is the cure within our reach. Civilization endures because men and women, time and again, choose to rise above their instincts. Laws, religions, philosophies—all these are but tools forged to contain the fire of hostility and redirect it towards creation instead of destruction. The task of every generation is to strengthen these bonds, to weave peace where there is conflict, to sow understanding where there is enmity.

Let the lesson be clear: civilized society cannot rest upon comfort and ease. It must be built daily, with vigilance, with sacrifice, with love. Each soul must conquer within itself the seed of hatred before it grows into violence. Each community must bind its members with justice that is fair and compassion that is real. And each nation must remember that war between men is war against itself. Only thus can society resist the shadow of disintegration.

In your own lives, do not let quarrels fester. Seek reconciliation quickly, for small hostilities become great divisions if left unhealed. Speak truth, but clothe it in gentleness. Disagree, but with respect. And when the storm of anger rises in your breast, pause, breathe, and remember: if each man unleashes his fury without restraint, all that is built will fall. But if each man masters himself, then even the mightiest empire may endure.

Thus keep Freud’s warning in your heart: civilization is fragile, ever threatened by the wildness of man. Yet it is also resilient, for within each soul lies the power to choose peace over conflict, unity over division. And it is this choice, renewed day by day, that keeps the great fabric of humanity from tearing apart.