What makes civilizations rise and fall in such a cyclical, constant, way? I say this, because if you look at the the characteristics of our civilization and that of the past, you'll see dramatic changes. But there always seems to be those core underlying elements that go awry and screw the pooch. What is that element? Is it ignorance, degeneracy? Why can't we overcome cycles with all the info that fills the infosphere in what we call the modern age?
Question about the fall and rise of civilization
Michael Powell
Eli Cruz
americans are incapable of comprehending the concept of civilization or anything so this is pretty pointless my friend sorry
Ian Collins
just a natural process
Aiden Barnes
an american asked the question
pay debnts
Luke Wilson
also, enjoy
Jack Wright
Read Tainter's "The collapse of complex societies"
Regarded as the prime text on this
Stay away from that fucking hack Jared Diamond like the plague
Aiden Sullivan
that's probably a virus
Zachary Young
Haven't you people been subjects for over half a thousand years? Does that somehow give perspective on civilization when you have none?
Christopher Taylor
Jonathan Price
I hope not, it's a PDF and I just downloaded it. Seems legit for another days read
Carson Lee
In our time all Greece was visited by a dearth of children and generally a decay of population, owing to which the cities were denuded of inhabitants, and a failure of productiveness resulted, though there were no long-continued wars or serious pestilences among us. If, then, any one had advised our sending to ask the gods in regard to this, what we were to do or say in order to become more numerous and better fill our cities,—would he not have seemed a futile person, when the cause was manifest and the cure in our own hands? For this evil grew upon us rapidly, and without attracting attention, by our men becoming perverted to a passion for show and money and the pleasures of an idle life, and accordingly either not marrying at all, or, if they did marry, refusing to rear the children that were born, or at most one or two out of a great number, for the sake of leaving them well off or bringing them up in extravagant luxury. For when there are only one or two sons, it is evident that, if war or pestilence carries off one, the houses must be left heirless: and, like swarms of bees, little by little the cities become sparsely inhabited and weak. On this subject there is no need to ask the gods how we are to be relieved from such a curse: for any one in the world will tell you that it is by the men themselves if possible changing their objects of ambition; or, if that cannot be done, by passing laws for the preservation of infants.
-Demetrius II., son of Antigonus Gonatas.
-Pseudophilippus, after cutting to pieces a Roman legion under the praetor Juventius, was conquered and captured by Q. Caecilius Metellus in B. C. 148 (Livy, Ep. 50; Eutrop. 4, 6).
Adrian Hill
Hard times make strong men.
Strong men make soft times.
Soft times make weak men.
Weak men make hard times.
Easton Howard
no
but haven't you?
only you americans know how it not to have civilization i believe
nobody else has that problem, really
Mason Long
ahh its money and currency essentially
John King
>human history can be summed up in a single platitude
xD
Ian Thompson
But it can and is.
Chase Rogers
>What makes civilizations rise and fall in such a cyclical, constant, way?
They don't. It's pareidolia indulged in by hack historians who want to see simplistic patterns in everything and/or confirm their existing political biases.
Nicholas Miller
This is one view.
Another hypothesis is that Civilization goes through a "seasonal" cycle every 80-100 years based on a generational "changing of the guard".
Every cycle consists of four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Every winter there is a "crisis" during which the fate of that civilization is decided. Either the Civilization survives and becomes even stronger during the new spring, or it fails and goes into decaying spiral.
If you want to read more on this start with "The Fourth Turning"
I've heard Steve Bannon is a fan.
Hudson Rivera
xD
James Powell
>>>/reddit/
Juan Flores
Decadence and decay vs righteousness and purpose.
Carter Jenkins
said the greek, 3 civilisations rised and fall in the same cyclical way.
ancient greece, macedonian greece, byzantine empire.
Wyatt Rodriguez
>No niggers:
Civilization flourishes.
>Niggers show up:
Civilization collapses.