> When we say something is barbaric, we mean it is in its natural, unrefined, untouched-by-civilisation state.
No we don't. We generally use barbaric to describe people. Barbaric comes from barbarian. Which was originally used to describe non-greeks, non-romans, foreigners, etc. It started out as a slur. Philistine is a synonym for barbarian.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/barbarian
> Enough to have motivated our species to seek to not be subject to it.
You act like civilization was something our species strived for rather than had imposed on us. Civilization was predominantly built on slavery and exploitation. The vast majority of humanity suffered under civilization. Humanity no more clamored for civilization than livestock clamored for industrial farms.