What is "Civilization?"
- Thread starter milefile
- 23 comments
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- 3,194
a group of individuals who have come together in support of eachother to maintain a local society. Having some type of political stucture is necessery too. JMO:tup:
- 12,993
- USA! USA!
An advanced society specific to a nation/region/territory/other name for region to make this longer.
- 12,993
- USA! USA!
That is actually his mother.
- 24,344
- Midlantic Area
- GTP_Duke
Civilization is what happens when people deal with each other in ways other than initiating or threatening to initiate violence. Initiating violence is barbaric. Note my emphasis on the word initiate. Responding forcefully to violence initiated by others is still civilized.
- 12,993
- USA! USA!
What about when a three year-old punches a 25 year-old and then the 25 year-old throw the child out a window?
Is that still civilized?
Is that still civilized?
- 12,993
- USA! USA!
Well, I wasn't being completely serious. But, you're welcome.
- 19,727
- Alabamamania
Having a local Best Buy is the obvious answer. And a judge that doesn't give throw you in a hoosegow for spitting in public. 
Seriously, I suppose hallmarks like a fair legal system, a military, a system of commerce and trade, a governing body, a place where citizens are proud of their land and resources, communication is exchanged freely, would be parts of civilization.
Seriously, I suppose hallmarks like a fair legal system, a military, a system of commerce and trade, a governing body, a place where citizens are proud of their land and resources, communication is exchanged freely, would be parts of civilization.
- 3,194
Well mile,.......... we're waiting 
- 10,832
Me? Oh.. yes. Right.
Well. Infrastructure. There must be infrastructure also known as services like water, trash removal, vermin control, roads, mail, etc. Codified laws and the means to enforce them. A belief system, a communicated, shared belief system (also known as culture). Written language. Not necessarily an alphabetical one like ours, but even a symbolic one like ancient Egypt or pre-conquest Meso America. History. A civilization must have a history to justify itself with. Trade. People specialize and produce or provide one thing and trade it for other things they need. This allows expertise to develop allowing people to become excellent at one thing rather than spending all their time merely subsisting.
There's more, I'm sure.
Civilizations end. As ours will eventually. The trick to sustaining one, however, is to convince the population that this will never happen. But Mr. Average Roman and/or Mrs. Average Aztec also believed their world would go on forever, too.
Well. Infrastructure. There must be infrastructure also known as services like water, trash removal, vermin control, roads, mail, etc. Codified laws and the means to enforce them. A belief system, a communicated, shared belief system (also known as culture). Written language. Not necessarily an alphabetical one like ours, but even a symbolic one like ancient Egypt or pre-conquest Meso America. History. A civilization must have a history to justify itself with. Trade. People specialize and produce or provide one thing and trade it for other things they need. This allows expertise to develop allowing people to become excellent at one thing rather than spending all their time merely subsisting.
There's more, I'm sure.
Civilizations end. As ours will eventually. The trick to sustaining one, however, is to convince the population that this will never happen. But Mr. Average Roman and/or Mrs. Average Aztec also believed their world would go on forever, too.
- 3,194
Makes sence,....
Ironic how Christianity had a direct impact on the collapse of both of your examples,... isn't it.
Ironic how Christianity had a direct impact on the collapse of both of your examples,... isn't it.
- 10,832
But don't you think that Christianity has taken it to an extreme that no other has... so far anyway? I just think of the Aztecs, the Incas, and the Carribean Islanders (can't remember what they were called)... not to mention all of Africa (even though Islam is taking the torch in many areas now). And all this after the crusades and the Inquisition. Of course they failed miserably in Asia.
In fact, I guess one aspect of Civilization nobody has named yet would be conquest. Judgement aside, they've all done it. A civilization can't grow without something to eat, right?
