A duty to accumulate wealth catalyzed the former a duty to civilize inspired the latter.

Western (and, indeed, Japanese) imperialists used it in the early twentieth century to justify their missions to civilize or modernize the natives.

Indeed, for years the very goal of indigenous education in many countries was to civilize indigenous children by teaching them the language, culture and knowledge of the dominant group, which after the colonial era was that of the hegemonic nationality.