I don't like how the question is framed. I believe that people are civilized BY their culture. This phrasing seems to imply that EITHER you believe in genetic determinism or cultural relativism. I believe in neither.

Errm, no. There is a standard for civilisation and some people don't meet it.

That's not to say that some civilisations aren't savage. Look at India and their practice of widow burning.

TL;DR - Elements of 'savageness' and 'civilisation' can coexist within a culture. Labelling entire cultural groups as one of the two assumes an objective standard for human development. There is no such thing.

• 'Civilisation' is defined by OED as "a society, its culture, and its way of life during a particular time or in a particular part of the world." A civilisation can look different in different cultures. The idea of the 'savage' who is 'civilised' by a superior cultural saviour is the result of outdated perspectives that are too entrenched in their own worldview.

• Cultures that like to assume a position of superiority over less privileged nations have themselves engaged in what could be viewed as 'savage' customs - in the US, racism, sexism, public executions, etc.

Many people seem inherently selfish. I think humanity is conditioned into that, possibly instinctively to a certain point too. That’s why we believe our way is the right and only way. Who are we to declare that other people are savage or uncivilised? These very same people we call savages would in most cases believe we are the true savages. But when you take a step back away from all cultural, religious, historical, emotional and familial experiences and beliefs, it is most likely we are all uncivilised savages. We roam the earth in pursuit of our own selfish desires, as any other animal does. I think we need to realise we’re not as advanced as we think.

"Man isis are just a different culture, let's allow them to ravage the lives and rights of the innocent"

There are people that created classical music, beautiful architecture, western Civilization, and value heroism, honor, and truth. And then there are people that still haven't figured out how to build a bridge and live in mud huts and make grunting noises.

Deciding someone is savage or civilised is going to depend on how you define savage and civilised; some would argue these conflicting characterisations are proof that differing cultures exist.

• When initially voting on this statement, I disagreed because from my perspective, there are definitely savage and civilised people. But then after reading some of the opinions already posted, my understanding changed slightly. This is because standards of ‘savage’ and ‘civilised’ are going to change depending on who you ask and where you ask.
• “Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts”. This explicitly suggests that definitions of savageness and civilisation, are determined within cultures; therefore, perhaps different cultures are all that exists.
• I think the reason I initially disagreed with the statement, was because I was looking at it from a unitary perspective. I would consider myself as someone who lives in a civilised country with law and order. However, this is not the only type of society or ‘culture’ to exist. Whilst I think savage and civilised people exist, this is because of where I have grown up and the education, I have received about what it means to be savage or civilised.
• But to expand my understanding, leads me to consider the fact that characterisations such as these can mean different things. Therefore, it could make more sense to understand behaviour and societal characterisations, through identifying the different cultures to exist, rather than assuming everyone uses the same yardstick.

I agreed because of the definition of civilised is often subjective, relative, and sometimes flatout zenophobic. HOWEVER....somewhere in a jungle there is a man who just finished raping his own teenage daughter and is sitting down to a meal of his neighboring tribes severed limbs. I'm sure we all can agree that some cultures are just f&$#ed.

I cannot justify strapping explosives to children and then claiming there is an eternal reward for killing a child in a such a fashion. Such things in my mind have no place amongst the civilized nations