When determining which culture is considered the higher society, we must consider many facets of said civilizations. When considering whether the Greeks or a primitive tribe is at a higher state of civilization, it is best we examine two prominent sculptures: the Apollo of Belvedere or the mask. The Apollo represents a much higher state of civilization then the African mask. This statement can be supported by looking at the values, religion, and civilization in which the sculptures have been produced.
By examining the values of each of the cultures, we can see a clear difference, and these difference are reflected in the sculptures. The Greeks put a large value on knowledge. This value of knowledge is reflected in the high level of skill and craftsmanship put into the Apollo. The skill and craftsmanship that can only be achieved by a more civilized society. Although the mask also requires a great deal of skill, the tribal society does not put a high value on such skills, as its values lie elsewhere. The tribal society is significantly more family based. They value things such as the community and mutual support of the family, as we saw in the film “The Gods Must be Crazy”. The ability to provide an animal to eat is more prized then the ability to carve some dude out of a pretty rock.
Religion is another key aspect of a society and is greatly represented in these two sculptures. Both the mask and the Apollo actually represent a major part of their societies religion. Apollo is, of course, the god of the sun, while the mask represents an animal deity. Showing the Apollo as naked and in a very regal stance, suggests a very open and high minded society. Kenneth Clarke said “the gods are like ourselves, only more beautiful” , he is of course referring to the Apollo and how it is shown has being the perfection of the human form. In the case of the mask, it represents something much darker. Kenneth Clarke also said in reference to the mask “it is a world of fear and darkness ready to inflict horrible punishment for the smallest infringement of a taboo” thus Clarke has stated that the tribal society has chosen to accept and react to their world rather then to try and understand it. Compared to the Greeks this makes their religion and society less developed and less able to develop on fear of retribution. However, the main aspect of early tribal societies was goddess worship. As we see on the island of Malta, goddess worship was prominent and some will say that the worship of female dieties leads to a more peaceful society. Although this is true, a we saw no evidence of warfare, The Maltese people disapeared around 2500 BC and thus did not live a sustainable existence.
The great differences between the civilizations of the Greeks and the tribals truly set the bar as to which one is in a higher state of civilization. Whereas the tribals work as a cohesive group to fight for their survival, the Greeks have progressed enough to allow for specialization within their society. Specialization within the Greek society has allowed for greater advancement in civilization and technology. The specialists have the ability to develop their craft and continue to strive for something new. The ability to strive for something new has allowed the Greeks to build a more permanent and long lasting civilization. However, the ability to strive for something new is lost on the tribal societies, mostly due to the need for survival. This need for survival has prevented them from being able to think things through with greater depth. If they stopped to think, they would die. However, some groups have had the time, such as the people of the Lasceaux caves. But these peaceful and primitive societies were not sustainable, as we can see with the Minoans and the Maltese. These people attempted to strive for something new, but ultimately failed because they forgot to include a key aspect of a strong civilization, defense, something that the Greeks did very well.
As seen in modern times, the hunter and gatherer lifestyle of the tribal society have evolved into a speciality of its own. More of Greek society is seen in today's world, we have perfected specialization to the point that we are codependent on a wider array of specialists. There are many similarities between our civilization and the Greeks and if we consider ourselves to be in the highest state of civilization, by analogy the Greeks were higher then the tribals
