In antiquity this form of `` hard Primitivism '' , whether viewed as desirable or seen as something to escape , co-existed in rhetorical opposition to the `` soft Primitivism '' of visions of a lost Golden Age of ease and plenty . In antiquity this form of `` hard primitivism '' , whether admired or deplored ( both attitudes were common ) , co-existed in rhetorical opposition to the `` soft primitivism '' of visions of a lost Golden Age of ease and plenty .