The Development Of Civilization
The development of civilization was a result of a change in the collective psyche of a group of people. The people of our civilization see the world as something that belongs to humans. Thus they fan out across the globe seeking to subjugate the planet and exploit it for our material benefit.
Our civilization is a way of living that functions hierarchichally instead of tribally. It is a way of life that turns natural resources such as land, water and food into tradeable commodities.
The first civilizations formed independently from each other and on different continents. All of them have since been abandoned, except one. Ours.
The development of civilization that began for us in the Fertile Crescent still continues today. Our population is still growing, we are producing more food and we are expanding into areas of the planet where our culture has not gone before.
We are blindly crashing forth, persisting with our civilization, hoping and trying that somehow we can make it work. We are not detered by the failed civilizations we observe around us. "Ours is the best," we tell ourselves, "ours will work."
This myth that we tell ourselves is what keeps our civilization moving ahead and is what is leading towards the biggest catastrophe mankind has ever experienced.
Our ignorance of how the development of civilization actually happened and how civilization actually functions is preventing us from finding a sustainable way of living. Most people take for granted the lie we are fed that our civilization is the pinnacle of human existence. We need to free ourselves from this mindset. We need to learn the story of civilization so we can understand why it is failing. Only then can we figure out a way to move forward.
The Great Forgetting
Several generations after the beginning of civilization we forgot that people hadn't always lived that way. Assuming that civilization and agriculture was as inherently human as thought and speech, they saw the "primitives" around them as fallen from the natural state. The intellectual and philosophical foundations of our culture are based on this enourmous misunderstanding.
Takers and Leavers
"Takers" and "leavers" are the terms Daniel Quinn coined to distinguish the people of the culture of maximum harm from all the other cultures in the world. Leavers live in the hand of the gods, while the takers seek total mastery of the planet. Takers forgot that being a leaver was a legitimate choice; they believe that every human is supposed to be a taker.
The Law of Limited Competition
There is actually a law that governs the relationships between species. We forgot this during the development of civilization, during the Great Forgetting. However whether we believe in the law or not doesn't stop it affecting us. The law makes no distinction between the wild or civilization - it applies equally to all biological creatures.
Think There's No Slavery Anymore? Civilization Is Slavery
We are given the impression that slavery doesn't exist anymore. But it does, civilization cannot exist without slavery. If the masses werent forced into it then who would serve the masters. The hierarchy maintains is position with slavery. For many years this was slavery via physical coercion. In modern times it is economic slavery.
The Collapse Of Civilization - It Has Happened Before
Every civilization that has ever existed has eventually been destroyed. Except for one - our one. In the past civilizations have either been conquered or have collapsed because they have destroyed their land base. We are heading down the same road as Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome etc.
Increased Leisure Time Is Not A Characteristic Of Civilization
Agriculturalists work much much harder than hunter/gatherers in order to provide the necessities of life. We think that we are better off than those in the Middle Ages, who were better off than cavemen, who were better off than apes etc. But those who we call primitive have had a life of leisure all along.
The Story Of Civilization
Human culture is a collection of stories that we pass along the generations. Our cultural ecology is underpinned by these stories. For most of human history man's place in the story was as a part of nature. But the story of civilization says that man is separate from and superior to nature. This belief is what has lead to the wanton destruction of the planet for humankind's material and economic gain.
The Meaning Of Civilization
The development of civilization was not built on maths, arts, science and religion. It was not built on technology or the division of labour. It was and still is built on the destruction and the devouring of the rest of the world. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can develop a complex settlement that exists in accord with natural laws. The meaning of civilization can be leadership and harmony.
Help spread the word by sharing this page on your favourite social networking sites. Thanks for your help!
Return from The Development Of Civilization to Deep Ecology Hub