E-raamat: Views on culture

Every society has its own culture that characterizes it and lives in it, just as every culture has its characteristics that determine its personality, and culture has material components and moral components. As for materialism, it consists of the ways of living and the tools that members of society use to meet their needs and the methods that they create to use these tools. This is what makes us distinguish between a high culture and a low culture, or between civilized groups and others lagging behind the ranks of civilization. As for the moral components of culture, they are the set of customs and traditions that prevail in society, which were inherited by its members, the law or custom that governs them, and the moral rules that determine their relationship with each other. This is the true concept of the word "culture," and it is broader than what people are accustomed to understanding of the word. Indeed, in some ways, it differs from the familiar meaning implied by the words "culture" and "cultured."