Beyond Civilization: Humanity's Next Great Adventure

Beyond Civilization: Humanity's Next Great Adventure

 Once upon a time life evolved on a certain planet, bringing forth many
different social organizations—packs, pods, flocks, troops, herds, and
so on. One species whose members were unusually intelligent developed a
unique social organization called a tribe. Tribalism worked well for
them for millions of years, but there came a time when they decided to
experiment with a new social organization (called civilization) that was
hierarchal rather than tribal. Before long, those at the top of the
hierarchy were living in great luxury, enjoying perfect leisure and
having the best of everything. A larger class of people below them lived
very well and had nothing to complain about. But the masses living at
the bottom of the hierarchy didn't like it at all. They worked and lived
like pack animals, struggling just to stay alive.
"This isn't
working," the masses said. "The tribal way was better. We should return
to that way." But the ruler of the hierarchy told them, "We've put that
primitive life behind us forever. We can't go back to it."
"If we can't go back," the masses said, "then let's go forward—on to something different."

"That can't be done," the ruler said, "because nothing different is
possible. Nothing can be beyondcivilization. Civilization is a final,
unsurpassable invention."
"But no invention is ever
unsurpassable. The steam engine was surpassed by the gas engine. The
radio was surpassed by television. The calculator was surpassed by the
computer. Why should civilization be different?"
"I don't know why it's different," the ruler said, "It just is."
But the masses didn't believe this—and neither do I.
- Daniel Quinn
Read the rest of this amazing epic here: http://www.filmsforaction.org/news/beyond_civilization/