The Cancer of Isms: When Ideology Breeds Uncivilised Society

Introduction: Modern society has inherited not only the blessings of science, technology, and globalisation, but also the curses of polarisation, tribalism, and ideological rigidity. The proliferation of “isms”, racism, tribalism, sectarianism, nationalism, consumerism, and even extreme forms of religious exclusivism, has become the malignant cancer of our age. Like an unchecked tumour, these ideologies metastasize, spreading across cultural, political, and ecclesiastical spaces, eating into the very marrow of human solidarity.

The metaphor of cancer is deliberate. Cancer begins invisibly, within the body, as cells that refuse co-operation. Instead of contributing to the life of the whole, they multiply selfishly, draining resources and ultimately threatening the organism’s survival. In a similar manner, isms often begin as ideas meant to affirm identity, protect community, or advance justice. Yet when such ideas are absolutised, they grow uncontrollably, corroding civility and replacing human dignity with suspicion, division, and disdain.

The Anatomy of Isms: The suffix -ism signifies a system of belief or ideology, whether philosophical, political, or cultural. At their healthiest, these frameworks provide orientation in a confusing world. Feminism has brought overdue recognition of women’s rights, while environmentalism has safeguarded the earth against unchecked exploitation. Yet, once an ism ceases to be a lens of critique and becomes a totalising identity, it ceases to serve human flourishing and instead mutates into a pathology.

The destructive turn of isms manifests in several ways. They elevate a single aspect of life, whether tribe, nation, class, gender, or religion, as if it were the whole truth, ignoring the complexity and diversity of human existence. They simultaneously cast those outside their circle as inferior, suspect, or expendable, thereby undermining the universality of human dignity. And, perhaps most dangerously, they demand forms of loyalty that rival religious devotion, often sanctifying violence, corruption, or exclusion in the name of ideology.

History is littered with examples of this malignant pattern. National Socialism in Germany transformed ordinary patriotism into genocidal nationalism. Tribalism in various African contexts ignited wars that tore apart communities bound by geography yet divided by clan. Even within religious communities, sectarianism has splintered fellowships that once shared a common faith into bitter rivals consumed by institutional pride.

Uncivilisation as the Outcome: To call isms “uncivilising” is not to indulge in rhetorical exaggeration. Civilisation is not primarily measured by infrastructure, technology, or economic growth, but by the cultivation of civility, respect, cooperation, and recognition of the other’s humanity. A society is civilised not when it builds skyscrapers but when it builds trust; not when it amasses wealth but when it honors dignity.

Isms corrode this foundation. They promote barbarism dressed in ideological sophistication. Racism justifies cruelty with the veneer of pseudoscience. Consumerism masks exploitation beneath the glamour of advertising. Sectarianism sanctifies exclusion with selective readings of scripture. The result is a society that may appear modern and advanced on the surface but is inwardly primitive, technologically equipped yet morally impoverished.

The true danger of isms lies in their ability to redefine normality. When corruption is reframed as tribal loyalty, when violence masquerades as national pride, and when exclusion is sanctified as religious purity, a society loses its moral compass. The uncivilised is no longer the exception but becomes institutionalised as the norm.

A Naga Mirror: Nagaland, like many postcolonial societies, offers a poignant mirror for the cancer of isms. Tribalism, which once provided identity and resilience, has too often metastasized into factionalism that undermines the dream of Naga unity. Allegiances to village, clan, and tribe frequently overshadow the larger good, producing hierarchies of loyalty that cripple governance and weaken the collective moral will.

Sectarianism deepens these fractures. The land once known for its vibrant Christian identity now struggles with denominational rivalries and ecclesiastical competition. Pulpits that should proclaim truth often bow to financial patronage, tribal pressures, or political expediency. When theology becomes an ideology divorced from the gospel of grace, it ceases to civilise and instead legitimises exclusion.

Even nationalism, a legitimate aspiration for self-determination, risks turning into ideology when it prioritises symbols over substance. Liberation rhetoric untethered from integrity and justice can become a cover for authoritarian impulses or corruption. Thus, the very isms that once inspired hope now threaten to corrode the moral fabric of Naga society.

Isms Across the Globe: Nagaland’s struggles are not unique. Across the globe, the same patterns can be observed. In the United States, racism continues to produce structural inequality despite decades of civil rights activism. In South Asia, religious nationalism increasingly equates citizenship with majority faith, marginalising minorities and undermining pluralism. Consumerism, now virtually universal, treats the earth not as a home to be cherished but as a warehouse of resources to be plundered. In Europe, populist movements frequently scapegoat immigrants, fueling xenophobia under the guise of cultural preservation.

Each of these examples illustrates the same pathology: identities or ideas that once had legitimate roots grow unchecked, turn inward, and begin consuming the very body they claim to protect.

Diagnosing the Disease: If isms are cancers, then societies must learn how to diagnose and confront them. The first symptom is the elevation of one group as inherently superior. The second is the justification of exclusion, exploitation, or silencing of others. The third is the subordination of truth, justice, and compassion to the naked pursuit of power. Whenever these patterns appear, it is a sign that an ideology has turned malignant. Like cancer cells, such isms mimic the appearance of healthy community but refuse cooperation, seeking only their own expansion.

Toward a Cure: The cure cannot be a naive relativism that declares all ideologies equally valid, nor a militant iconoclasm that seeks to abolish all systems of thought. Human beings need frameworks of meaning and identity. The task is to cultivate civic and theological antibodies strong enough to resist the absolutising tendencies of isms.

At the heart of such resistance is a renewed recognition of human dignity. Any ideology that tramples persons in pursuit of its aims is already malignant. Closely tied to this is the recovery of the common good. Civilisation must be measured not by tribal, denominational, or national triumphs, but by the degree to which justice, peace, and welfare are secured for all. This vision was central to thinkers such as Augustine and Aquinas, who insisted that politics is truly just only when ordered to the common good.

Religious and intellectual leaders, in particular, must embrace the vocation of prophetic critique. Their task is not to baptize the slogans of tribes or nations but to call communities back to truth. In Nagaland, this means that churches must resist the temptation to legitimise corruption and tribalism and instead serve as voices of conscience.

Finally, societies must cultivate civic virtues, patience, dialogue, empathy, and civility. These are not decorative traits for times of peace but essential disciplines for survival. Without them, communities inevitably slide into barbarism disguised by technological advancement.

Lessons from History: History bears witness both to the destruction wrought by isms and to the possibilities of healing. Empires that absolutised ideology, Rome’s imperialism, Europe’s colonialism, the fascisms of the 20th century, eventually collapsed under their contradictions. Yet history also testifies to moments of recovery. The civil rights movement in the United States, grounded in the recognition of human dignity, dismantled entrenched racism. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission demonstrated that even societies scarred by apartheid could choose the difficult path of forgiveness and justice.

The metaphor of cancer underscores urgency. Left untreated, the disease spreads. The earlier the intervention, the greater the chance of survival. Societies, like bodies, require vigilance, discipline, and sacrifice if they are to resist the metastasis of destructive ideologies.

Conclusion: Choosing Civilisation over Uncivilisation

The question before us is stark. Will we allow isms to corrode civility, or will we cultivate antibodies of dignity, justice, and compassion? Nagaland, like the wider world, stands at a crossroads. To embrace tribalism, sectarianism, or corruption as normal is to consent to slow social death. To resist them is to choose life, civility, and genuine civilisation.

Civilisation is fragile. It requires more than roads, smartphones, or elections. It requires the moral courage to resist the cancers of ideology that breed uncivilised societies. The cure lies not in erasing difference but in refusing to absolutise it; not in silencing identity but in integrating it into the larger symphony of human dignity.

If cancer is unchecked division in the body, the cure is renewed cooperation. If isms are the cancer of society, then unity, justice, and truth are its therapy. The time for diagnosis is past; the time for treatment is now.

Vikiho Kiba