Is the rise of (our current) civilization the downfall of mankind?

For millions of years humans lived as one with nature, they hunted and gatherd just like animals and the world was in perfect balance. Then the agricultural revoltion came about and changed the world. In a sence it started the fall of mankind. Why did we need this agricultural revolution? The people that lived before it were some of the most lesurley people ever. They worked (hunted and gatered)for only a couple of hours a day. The rest of their time was spent on other things. These people had a culture that was one with the world. They were rarley hunted themselvs simply because most animals did not like the taste of human. If they died it was ok because that was the way it was, if their was no food that day they delt with it. Then oneday the agricultural revolution came around and the humans that had created this culture said we have found the right way to live and you must follow us or die. These humans belived they had the knowledge of the gods, they thought they new what was good and what was evil. But in reality 10,000 years ago when this all stared they began the destruction of the world. Why do we need to plant feilds of corn when we could just go and pick some that is growing in the wild. Why did we need to make herds of animals to eventually slaughter and eat when we could simply go and hunt one. Humans only took what they needed up untill the agricultural revolution. then the population of these "civilized people" began to increase which caused an even greater increase in the agriculture and so on.

These ancient humans, for instance the native americans or the bushmen of africa, were on there way to forming the perfect civilization they were developing language and tools and a culture that worked with nature. They kept everything in check with the natural order of things. I think we need to learn from the ancient people and begin to be more like them. To some there way of life was chaos, anarchey, unstable, and uncertain. But is that really a bad thing. These humans lived for 3 million years without anything ever going wrong. But in the last 10,000 we Modern "civilized" humans have manage to bring the world to the brink of destruction.

why cant we change, is it because of the fear that our culture has instilled in us. or is it because we as humans are flawed and are incapable of havin the perfect culture. I think the flaw came when the fruit of the tree of knowledge was eaten and humans decided they no longer would put their lives in the hads of the gods, but they would instead controll their own lives.

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"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." -V

Seems to me, that each new generation must learn for itself the lessons of morality. Civilization, after all, is what we make it, is it not?

The Chinese have an interesting view to this, it's been part of their culture for a long long time (ever since Confucianism). When the leadership decides that a "change in culture" is appropriate, they basically "change the curriculum" that the children are taught in the schools, and put up lots of billboards with political slogans, and after a generation or so it begins to take hold and shape the culture.

That's why education is so absolutely vital and critical. The more society grows (population-wise), and the more diverse it becomes, the more important it is that each individual becomes educated enough to keep tabs on what's going on. Which is getting increasingly difficult these days, the volume of information is nearly overwhelming.

People have various responses to that kind of thing. Some people just give up, and eventually try to remove themselves from that whole thing (as much as possible). Some people try to engage, at a political level or whatever, but in doing so, rapidly come to realize that the dynamic is much bigger than themselves.

Which takes us naturally into "influence", and the media and all that. I definitely wouldn't say that civilization is the root of all evil, only that it's undergoing some changes right now, that might perhaps be a little uncomfortable. It has to change because it has to accommodate itself to changing conditions in the population. If you look at China, you'll actually see these dynamics, you can look through the history books and see the direct impact that their "method" has had upon subsequent generations.

Nothing is stopping you from returning to the hunter-gatherer tribal mentality. Turn off your computer, remove your clothes, and go make yourself a spear.

Retro

One person changing his lifestyle bock to the "hunter/gatherer way does nothing, it will take a dramatic drop in the population of the world and a dramatic change in the culture and mindset of everyone. If i could get millions of people to do the same then i would mos definatly do as you said.

I'm not saying that the hunter gatherers were right , and im not saying we were right. Noone but god himself knows who is right. I am simply pointing out the fact that for 3 million years before the agricultural revolution the world was fine, but in the last 10,000 years it seems as if has gone to hell. In the teory that i am speaking of the reasoning for the world going to hell is that the modern human takes gods work into his own hands.

I think if our race is to continue to survive we need to look back a the native americans and try to finish what they left off on when we ( the white man) killed them off and put their search of the perfect culture on hold.

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"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." -V

^^^see how the Muslims are convenient allies to Democrats. THe more dead humans, the better, for the religion of the left (Environmentalism).

I am definaly a conservative/republican and a christian, but i think there are things we can learn from the enviromenalists. to many republicans are ignoreing our world and they think of te world as like i ust said "ours." The world is not our it is gods. I think god wants us to keep it clean and keep it the way he made it. and not detroy his creations. The world elongs to all that inhabit it and i think that is something that the left is right on. I belive the lleft is usinng it the wrong way, by bashing bush and the republicans with it, rather than actually caring, they are kinda using it as a wepon. but in any case we need to better protect our home.

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"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." -V

The hunter-gatherers weren't exactly living in Nirvana. They were at the mercy of the elements, the ebb and flow of prey, and so on. Life expectancy and infant mortality was extremely high.

Agriculture provided a more stable food supply and allowed people to permanently settle specific areas instead of being nomadic. It provided the leisure time and specialization to develop medical and scientific knowledge.

It also gave rise to nation states (instead of tribes) and began the process of altering the environment for our own purposes.

But that last is only harmful if done badly or carelessly, or to excess thanks to population pressure. The rise of agriculture has, on balance, been a good thing for humanity.

Yes, hunter gatherers lived simply enough, and were few enough, that their impact on the world was light. But I wouldn't go back to those days. Better to take the best of both worlds and apply the lessons to modern living.

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Man up.