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We tend to think that societies and cultures move in a linear timeline, constantly evolving and progressing. This utopistic pattern of thinking originates from the desire of giving life a meaning and purpose. Just like as we like to disinterpret the Darwinistic theory as a constant evolvment into something ”greater” and ”better”, when in reality the evolution theory only means adaptation. Nature will adapt to the conditions, whether they are ”improving” or ”declining”.
It’s much easier to comprehend today’s events and conflicts, while remaining sane, if you understand that every being in nature and every man-made object has a circular lifespan. You will never find linear progression in anywhere in nature, only constant rise and fall of everything that ever borns. Forget looking at societies and cultures like evolving beings and you’ll worry a lot less in the everydays, watching the news.
If you are the observant type and like reading history, you will realise that western society as a whole is most likely past its prime. If you observe the mechanics of society, just like the one of a human body, you will see the undeniable signs of an ongoing disorder. The members of society are not able to function anymore for the sake of the society itself, the organs and cells have started to grow old and are more and more tired of pumping life into the organic system that is society. Doesn’t matter how sad and pessimistic this may sound, It’s all natural.
I might be mistaken, but I see the prime of the Western world was somewhere around the early 20th century. With all the wars and revolts in that period of history, it was the prime of our civilization – don’t forget that only the strong can stand up and fight for its own right. When a society can’t stand up against its oppressors anymore (nor even acknowledging the existence of a threat), it isn’t hard to realise that society has simply grew old and tired of itself and its existence. If you’re looking at the recent events unfolding in Western Europe and you just can’t seem to grasp the rational logic in all the surreal (lack of) response from society and leaders, just remember the laws of nature.
In contrary, you could say that a society’s evolvment into a greater spirit is marked by the ultimate rise of moral principles above the material necessities and this is what we can see in Western Europe. You can say that we are in the middle of a spiritual rebirth process and the ongoing conflicts are nothing than a painful but necessary C-section. It’s a nice train of thought, but I don’t believe that Western Europe would be a miraculous exception from the rules of nature. If I denude all the nice moral slogans to the bare natural basics of organic laws, I’m afraid what I see is more like a helpless, tired old man’s last grasps for breath and a longing for a spiritual redemption.
Does every society just has one "prime", and how about transitions from one society to another one?
There have been several primes in the European history. From the Roman empire to the rensaissance, the early 19th century but also the end of the 19th century with huge economic growth and the rise of the European union. There are always ups and downs, and always will be. Society is dynamic and will always evolve.
As industrialization spreads across the globe, the idea of pre-industrial civilizations has already faded away and will disappear altogether from popular discourse, remaining the province of only obscure historians.
Unless of course as a result of the constant babble we regress.
It actually happened time and again during the pre-industrial era, and in the early stages of industrialization too.
Arrogantly proud creatures those human beings.
Should the current tower of babble that this round of globalization is building come tumbling down, I wish you luck in surviving.
Actually the chances aren't bad, we've done it before, otherwise we wouldn't be here today to talk about it.
Like Douglas said, society goes through a lot of mood swings. Western Europe experienced regression after the fall of the Western Roman Empire (The Eastern one would stick around a lot longer) when the Middle Ages kicked in and it took nearly a millennium for things to start picking up again with the renaissance.
That being said, due to globalization and the spread of information, it would be a lot harder for society as a whole to entirely regress as things are far more widespread nowadays. It would have to be something truly catastrophic like an asteroid impact that wipes out the vast majority of humanity, with only pockets of humanity surviving (think Mad Max or the game Fallout) for things to severely be hampered.
We tend to think that societies and cultures move in a linear timeline, constantly evolving and progressing. This utopistic pattern of thinking originates from the desire of giving life a meaning and purpose. Just like as we like to disinterpret the Darwinistic theory as a constant evolvment into something ”greater” and ”better”, when in reality the evolution theory only means adaptation. Nature will adapt to the conditions, whether they are ”improving” or ”declining”.
It’s much easier to comprehend today’s events and conflicts, while remaining sane, if you understand that every being in nature and every man-made object has a circular lifespan. You will never find linear progression in anywhere in nature, only constant rise and fall of everything that ever borns. Forget looking at societies and cultures like evolving beings and you’ll worry a lot less in the everydays, watching the news.
If you are the observant type and like reading history, you will realise that western society as a whole is most likely past its prime. If you observe the mechanics of society, just like the one of a human body, you will see the undeniable signs of an ongoing disorder. The members of society are not able to function anymore for the sake of the society itself, the organs and cells have started to grow old and are more and more tired of pumping life into the organic system that is society. Doesn’t matter how sad and pessimistic this may sound, It’s all natural.
I might be mistaken, but I see the prime of the Western world was somewhere around the early 20th century. With all the wars and revolts in that period of history, it was the prime of our civilization – don’t forget that only the strong can stand up and fight for its own right. When a society can’t stand up against its oppressors anymore (nor even acknowledging the existence of a threat), it isn’t hard to realise that society has simply grew old and tired of itself and its existence. If you’re looking at the recent events unfolding in Western Europe and you just can’t seem to grasp the rational logic in all the surreal (lack of) response from society and leaders, just remember the laws of nature.
In contrary, you could say that a society’s evolvment into a greater spirit is marked by the ultimate rise of moral principles above the material necessities and this is what we can see in Western Europe. You can say that we are in the middle of a spiritual rebirth process and the ongoing conflicts are nothing than a painful but necessary C-section. It’s a nice train of thought, but I don’t believe that Western Europe would be a miraculous exception from the rules of nature. If I denude all the nice moral slogans to the bare natural basics of organic laws, I’m afraid what I see is more like a helpless, tired old man’s last grasps for breath and a longing for a spiritual redemption.
Interesting hypothesis.
I'd also submit that the deepening culture clash in the U.S. is a surefire sign that no one really knows what to do or which way to go at this point.
It's easier to just b***h and fight than pick a way forward, isn't it?
We tend to think that societies and cultures move in a linear timeline, constantly evolving and progressing. This utopistic pattern of thinking originates from the desire of giving life a meaning and purpose. Just like as we like to disinterpret the Darwinistic theory as a constant evolvment into something ”greater” and ”better”, when in reality the evolution theory only means adaptation. Nature will adapt to the conditions, whether they are ”improving” or ”declining”.
It’s much easier to comprehend today’s events and conflicts, while remaining sane, if you understand that every being in nature and every man-made object has a circular lifespan. You will never find linear progression in anywhere in nature, only constant rise and fall of everything that ever borns. Forget looking at societies and cultures like evolving beings and you’ll worry a lot less in the everydays, watching the news.
If you are the observant type and like reading history, you will realise that western society as a whole is most likely past its prime. If you observe the mechanics of society, just like the one of a human body, you will see the undeniable signs of an ongoing disorder. The members of society are not able to function anymore for the sake of the society itself, the organs and cells have started to grow old and are more and more tired of pumping life into the organic system that is society. Doesn’t matter how sad and pessimistic this may sound, It’s all natural.
I might be mistaken, but I see the prime of the Western world was somewhere around the early 20th century. With all the wars and revolts in that period of history, it was the prime of our civilization – don’t forget that only the strong can stand up and fight for its own right. When a society can’t stand up against its oppressors anymore (nor even acknowledging the existence of a threat), it isn’t hard to realise that society has simply grew old and tired of itself and its existence. If you’re looking at the recent events unfolding in Western Europe and you just can’t seem to grasp the rational logic in all the surreal (lack of) response from society and leaders, just remember the laws of nature.
In contrary, you could say that a society’s evolvment into a greater spirit is marked by the ultimate rise of moral principles above the material necessities and this is what we can see in Western Europe. You can say that we are in the middle of a spiritual rebirth process and the ongoing conflicts are nothing than a painful but necessary C-section. It’s a nice train of thought, but I don’t believe that Western Europe would be a miraculous exception from the rules of nature. If I denude all the nice moral slogans to the bare natural basics of organic laws, I’m afraid what I see is more like a helpless, tired old man’s last grasps for breath and a longing for a spiritual redemption.
I don't think people running others over with trucks is evolving.
Does every society just has one "prime", and how about transitions from one society to another one?
There have been several primes in the European history. From the Roman empire to the rensaissance, the early 19th century but also the end of the 19th century with huge economic growth and the rise of the European union. There are always ups and downs, and always will be. Society is dynamic and will always evolve.
Some places have several "primes". Like Italy two milleniums, then again in the Renaissance, and then again after World War II
I don't think people running others over with trucks is evolving.
Middle East is in the middle of a centuries-long decline. Everything started when the Ottoman Empire became xenophobic and conducted genocides against the non-Muslim minorities there, like the Greeks and the Bulgarians and the Armenians. That was the beginning of the end for the Middle East
The Western world is an evolving culture. Perhaps in a circular pattern. When new groups assimilate they bring in little bits of their own culture. We can see that historically with the Greeks, Romans, English, etc.
Cultural wars are nothing new, Europe has had cultural wars for a millennia. Finally they stopped attacking each other and now there is an outside threat. The cultural spheres will always have outside threats, just the western cultural sphere is getting larger and larger. The West is like the Borg from Star Trek. It started in Europe possibly with the Greeks or Romans, maybe with Christianity, and now is spread to every corner of the planet. It's the majority culture in all of the Americas, Europe, and a lot of Oceania. From that perspective I don't see how one could say the Wests peak was in the past. Even countries like Japan and S Korea are undergoing westernization. Countries that were historically polar opposites. They now share our government forms, Christianity is majority in S Korea, and they share most of our values on human rights.
I don't disagree with the general sentiment, just some personal thoughts.
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