Western civilization was not born in peace but forged in chaos—by the horsemen of the apocalypse. Goths, Huns, Vikings, Crusaders, Mongols, and the plague known as the Black Death all played their role in shaping the temperament and trajectory of Europe.
The legacy of nomadic invasions and failed crusades left a deep psychological imprint on the European mind. The experience of devastation, humiliation, and repeated military failure did not humble Europe—it hardened it. From the ashes of these defeats emerged a civilization with a growing appetite for conquest, massacre, plunder, and empire-building. The trauma of losing the Crusades did not lead to introspection; it ignited a thirst for revenge and a determination to dominate.
The Black Death, which wiped out between 30% to 60% of Europe's population in the 14th century, was another brutal turning point. The old political and feudal order crumbled under the weight of demographic catastrophe. In its place rose a new class—ambitious, ruthless, and unburdened by the moral codes of the past. These were the spiritual heirs of the very barbarians who once terrorized Europe: the Goths, the Huns, the Vikings, and the Mongols. They did not merely remember these figures with dread—they imitated their methods and sought to turn Europe's former suffering into a blueprint for global domination.
Contrary to romanticized narratives, the philosophical traditions of Ancient Greece played a limited role in the Age of Imperialism. Imperialism was not rooted in the rationalism of Plato or the ethics of Aristotle. It was a raw, militaristic, and vengeful endeavor—a project of domination driven less by ideas than by instincts.
To build a mountain, one does not rely on stable geology but on cataclysmic eruptions. Likewise, to forge a world-conquering civilization, it is not contemplative philosophy that is decisive, but the violent disruptions of history—the horsemen of the apocalypse.
No comments:
Post a Comment