How civilized is civilization today?

How civilized is civilization today?

Well the question gets a little tricky if you really think about it.  Today, I’d like to think our society is civilized.  We don’t run around nude, kill everyone we see, or submit to animal instincts in the streets.  We are above such things, well most of us anyway.  But in truth, how civilized or uncivilized we are can be explained by our core values or morals.  We need moral values to direct our actions and progress; because without them the world would be chaos. 

While morals are a distinct part of us, I believe that everyone has some part of them, whether it is rebellion, snobbery, or deceit that strays from the good core values of society.  This ounce or lake of evil can rock civilization because once released it seems to spread.  

In the novel “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” some of these views are reflected.  Dr. Jekyll represents the good core beliefs of society.  He is a good friend and entertainer.  He is a kind man with a good heart—but this is shrouded by the dark side within him: Mr. Hyde.  Mr. Hyde represents the evil that can leak into a soul or civilization.  Once the evil takes hold it erases all good.  Dr. Jekyll could not keep from turning into Hyde by the end of the novel and his actions got increasingly worse over the course of the story.  He went from wandering the streets at night startling people to murdering a man. 

            In our society today, people allow evil in.  We have murderers and psychopaths and sex offenders who pepper our world with evil.  Thankfully, people don’t succumb to evil just because they see it being done.  We can be considered civilized in that way.