What Makes a Society Truly ‘Civilized’?
Keeping us at each other’s throats keeps us feeling separate, angry, fearful — and easily manipulated by greedy, devious oligarchs and demagogues.
This article will investigate two interwoven themes: first, what makes a society ‘civilized,’ and second, what are the ways that our society consistently undermines these qualities and instead creates anger, fear, and violence?
Put differently: Which human qualities and choices lead to ‘civilized’ behavior — and why do we often reject them, and instead embrace qualities and choices that encourage awful ‘uncivilized’ behavior?
The reason I want to write on this subject is simple: all around the globe, and especially in America, ‘civilized’ society and behavior look (and feel) like they’re starting to collapse. Before we slide much further down this slippery slope into tyranny and surging chaos, we need to understand what’s happening within and around us — and hopefully change our direction.
For centuries now, we Americans have been ever-so-slowly inching towards a truly equitable society based on full equality and equal opportunity. Yet it seems like it’s always been two steps forward, 1.99999 back. Progress has been incredibly sloooooww — and sometimes (like…
