Behind the Myth of the Noble Savage Is Unfathomable Darkness

The Endarkenment myth of the "Noble Savage" has infiltrated the Church and is behind such abominations as the Amazonian Rite and the Zairean Rite.

From Crisis

By Auguste Meyrat, MA

The persistent Enlightenment myth of the Noble Savage has captured the Christian imagination, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.

Few historical myths are more pernicious and popular than that of the “Noble Savage.” Concocted by French philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the late 18th century, the Noble Savage was seen as a better kind of human being since he was closer to nature and untainted by the corruptive influence of civilization. In his primitive state, he never learned to deceive, own property, or wage violence on others. He was strong, confident, and free.

One would think that the carnage of the Ancient Persians, genocides of Roman generals, or the mass raids of Mongols, Turks, Huns, and Saracens would immediately cure anyone of the notion that less advanced, non-Christian peoples somehow exhibited more nobility than those of the typical Christian state. After all, as the historian Tom Holland makes quite clear in his masterpiece Dominion, it was Christianity that redefined man as “made in God’s image” and thus entitled to protection and respect. This had a profound effect on the West’s development.

Outside the Christian West, it was far more likely that men and women would be massacred, enslaved, and subjected to every indignity possible. And for those who read real history (or tune in to Matt Walsh’s excellent new series of the same name), this is exactly how things were in the Americas when European explorers first made contact with the native tribes. Whether it was the Aztecs in Central America, the Iroquois in North America, or the Incas in South America, unfathomable levels of carnage, exploitation, and mass hysteria were ubiquitous and normal. There was no stabilizing or rationalizing force that could allow for prosperity or advancement.

To envision even some of this darkness requires intestinal fortitude. Mutilation, rape, torture, and even cannibalism come up frequently in historical accounts. To make these stories worse, there is often little reason for any of it. Although modern historians frequently attribute these crimes to the Indians simply defending their land or way of life, the perpetrators themselves never actually say this. From all appearances, they do these atrocities because they can. There was rarely any great strategy beyond terrorizing the enemy, stealing their goods, and satisfying their lusts.

So why does the myth of the Noble Savage continue to exist, and why does it matter? The answers to both questions involve Christianity and its indelible effect on the mind and culture. After conversion, all actions require a reason, and a standard of love must be maintained. Something is owed to one’s fellow human beings, who are no longer enemies but neighbors and siblings.

True, Christians will frequently come up with reasons to go to war, take property, or even inflict terror, but they need reasons all the same. This is not the case with non-Christian civilizations, which abide by the rules of nature. The philosopher Thomas Hobbes put it best in his Leviathan:

In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

It is notable that Hobbes wrote this in the mid-17th century, right as the Americas were being colonized, and not centuries after the fact when the attacks of American Indians became a distant memory. When the Native American populations either died out, integrated with white settlers, or went to live on reservations, Westerners lost the ability to conceive of such a brutal kind of existence. They automatically equated ignorance with innocence, amoral viciousness with moral purity, and material poverty with spiritual richness. Their Christian outlook fostered this kind of positive spin (and subsequent collective guilt), all encapsulated by the idea of the Noble Savage.

However, this notion is completely false and obscures an important truth about aboriginal people all throughout history and across the globe: they were the opposite of noble. Once a person properly understands this, he will understand the great challenge confronting Europeans settling in the Western Hemisphere. More often than not, peaceful solutions were not an option, and appeals to reason or sympathy were near impossible. Tragically, violence, domination, and belittlement became the only ways to subdue hostile tribes and effect peace in contested regions.

Recognizing this sad reality does not mean people today should necessarily celebrate it or condemn it, but they should definitely learn from it. Without Christ and His Church, humanity is capable of manifesting incredible darkness, creating a literal hell on Earth. To fight against such benighted realms will frequently become ugly work, but it is unavoidable and Christ commands it: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Even if those of us today lack the capacity to empathize with our ancestors, charity demands that we at least sympathize with them and appreciate their challenge.

Beyond this, we should become “wise as serpents” and take a renewed look at our own world. So many conflicts and moral dilemmas today boil down to the disconnect between those with the Christian outlook and those without it. Because of the myths they inculcated through today’s media and schooling, people with the Christian outlook simply assume good faith and rationality from their opponents when deceit, viciousness, and insanity are more the norm than the exception.

While such a view might foster cynicism and paranoia, especially if left unchecked by the Christian virtue of hope, it also allows for realism and clarity. Like the Christians of the past deciding on a course of action for dealing with hostile forces, Christians today need to make the same considerations when assessing important issues and making hard choices. We should also reflect on whether enough is being done to save souls in a fallen world. Although passivity and tolerance may resemble charity and justice from one angle, it can also resemble complicity and mediocrity from every other angle.

In order to improve the world, we need to replace the myth of the Noble Savage with the reality of the Noble Christian. Our faith and current challenges demand nothing less.