Primitive Mindset and Civilization

David Hume (1711 – 1776), in Treatise of Human Nature stated, ‘everyone has observed how much more dogs are animated when they hunt in a pack, than when they pursue their game apart. We might, perhaps, be at a loss to explain this phenomenon, if we had not experience of a similar in ourselves.’ David was one of the skeptics in the annals of philosophy. His heresy, nonetheless, prevented him from being appointed as a professor in any of the Scotland’s universities. His words, however, are not lost in our local experience of degraded common good in Nigerian communities. The list of common good is long but none of ours is working well. Very often, we forget that even government as it is, is also a unit of common good. Its composition and functionality, therefore, should be every citizen’s concern for the good of all. The “us and them” syndrome unfortunately has not worked well for all Nigerians particularly as it borders on services for the good of all.

Altruism is defined as selflessness and the belief in acting for others’ good. Though a desired best, it seems farfetched and would be almost an angelic attribute in today’s world. What I think is warped in the Nigerian psyche is not the non-altruistic typical Nigerian. He understands what altruism is. His judgment, however, is suspect when it comes to distinguish between altruism and common good. The typical Nigerian understands common good to be for others and not for him, but he too will benefit or suffer from it. Every Nigerian, as it stands, will benefit from a steady supply of electricity; good roads; good government; steady water supply; efficient mass transit which will decongest the roads and an efficient rail system for cost and effect. Ironically, no tribe, section or class in Nigeria has an exclusive supply of uninterrupted electricity; good roads; good government; efficient mass transit, etc. So, there is something every Nigerian has in common – hell on earth.

Why is the typical Nigerian passive on issues that affect him? The task here should be how to pull the typical Nigerian out of this primitive mindset of self-interest, as a commentator aptly put it, towards the realization of pursuits of common good. Having identified this commonality in the defect of our psyche, what ought to be the way forward? We could borrow a leaf from the history of others – Europe was at a similar crossroad some two hundred years ago. At the time, two schools of thought emerged – one was violent revolution in France and the other was public education in Britain. The paths trodden on both sides addressed the same issue, but with dire consequences in one. The French revolution lasted for only 10 years, but in the end those that started the revolution were themselves guillotined. Whereas in Britain it lasted longer for about 50 years and it was through a road of peaceful revolution by its elites, the likes of George Bernard Shaw and his Fabian Society.

Britain’s preference for public education spared the elite and the ruling classes from cataclysmic consequences. The choice is ours, but if you ask me, I will settle for public education and that is why this appeal goes to intelligent Nigerians to lend their hands in formulating a way forward. The Yoruba have a saying, ‘If heaven is going to fall, it will not fall on one person’s head.’ A friend aptly points out the danger in the “sit don look” attitude of the Nigerian elite class in the face of decaying common good. The, “us and them” mentality, he says, is a potential Hiroshima, and it’s approaching a nuclear threshold… For how much longer will those that are less privileged continue to see the lack of functional common good in Nigeria as common bad (sic) and not selective bad? They are thrown into darkness at will while some lucky few are bathed with privately generated light every night. They buy water in buckets; ride in rickety mechanical contrivances and are sucked into corruption-black hole as opportunities dry up in Nigeria.

The gap between the haves and the haves not is widening every minute and second as public services collapses and decays with little regards to tribe, religion or class. This, therefore, does not call for altruistic elites in order to improve the welfare of the less privileged; the elites too suffer from the inconveniences of the decaying public service also. Besides, it could very well turn the wrath of the people, though misplaced, on the elites – us and them. One last thing: may I suggest as a first step that the administrators in the Nigerian Village Square set aside a day or two, wholly dedicated to the course of common good. It could be a day when they stand down contributions that do not promote what is common to all Nigerians – individual rights notwithstanding. Let it be a day we deliberate only on the joys and pains all Nigerians share and are exposed to, instead of what divides us. In doing so, we could kick start the public education of the virtue of common good. The ancient Chinese proverb says a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step – history, if we are lucky, may one day record that we, in this Village, and at this time, took that first step.  

Samuel Akinyele Caulcrick

Zaria.

Robot  # 1 | 10.08.2009 22:35

‘everyone has observed how much more dogs are animated when they hunt in a pack, than when they pursue their game apart. We might, perhaps, be at a loss to explain this phenomenon, if we had not experience of a similar in ourselves.’ ...Read the full article.

quietswami  # 2 | 11.08.2009 11:30

@ SAC, Appreciate the emerging pattern in your reasoning - read in conjuction with the previous piece "the double life of a typical Nigerian". Agree on the approach of "common good", one that was briefly explored in the previous write-up, I hinted at an alternative twist as "common grief" which coincidentally I was puttiing together to post. Will post this soon and sample your thoughts. The inability to define "common good" in itself could be a particular issue. Perhaps some "good" is being pursued by "leaders" but whether it is "common" is a different ball game!