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The Degree Of Diversity Attained and The Degree of Unity Retained

Barbarism is unified but undifferentiated; triviality is differentiated but lacking in any central unity; the ideal of civilization is the integration into a complete whole and with the minimum strain of the maximum number of distinct activities…a civilization [could] be judged by this double standard: the degree of diversity attained and the degree of unity retained

– W.H Auden