Barbarism and Its DiscontentsBarbarism and civilization form one of the oldest and most rigid oppositions in Western history. According to this dichotomy, barbarism functions as the negative standard through which "civilization" fosters its self definition and superiority by labeling others "barbarians." Since the 1990s, and especially since 9 11, these terms have become increasingly popular in Western political and cultural rhetorica rhetoric that divides the world into forces