what is the point of civilization?

Question

Usually the question is, what is the point of life? but this seems an inane question to me. Life is worth living.

However, what is the point of building more and more concrete structures, or polluting more and more, and harming our soil, preventing perhaps in the future, our ability to grow crops. What is the point of building hugfe super-highways, if in the end, they amount to an enormous amount of energy to maintain, just so we can get from A to B. What is the point of building an archaic dinosaur bigger and bigger?

just so we can have more of a population? be able to drive a car so we can go somewhere when places could be organized tightly into communities?

Concidering all the side-effects of organized civilizations (pollution, etc)...and its enormous vulnerabilities (centralization; all you need is to destroy washington and we have no way of reacting, or destroying or sedentary agriculture, and we cannot support our population's demands)..what is the point of all this?

could we not....have the same fulfilling lives....with a smaller population, which was more educated...was organized into communites...and used electricity more efficiently?

What do we gain from building all over the face of the earth...and building one giant concrete city....and then going to the moon and doing more of the same? is this advancement?

what is the point of doing this?

when our lives could be so fullfilled without having to be inefficient nor threaten the future existance of our society on earth.

cristanin.

I know--its me.. I don't know. . The alien life-form left me. I am now just another human. I was pondering this myself. And I didn't know the answer.

It seems that civilization is kind of redundant, and for all the advancements we have made...it only seems to have advanced our comforts...we have not done anything in the Unvierse of importance...so I guess what I am saying...

is there a difference of just living in a kibutz type community, or in the woods ,but having food and stuff...than being in a civilized world now....which is incredibly reliant on things that might not exist in only 200 years?

I mean, we would livce just the same....and do the same acheivements in the Universe...

why go to mars, and build houses there? why? just 'because' ...that is what I was questioning.

Answer 1

the question does not fit the case: the assumption that there is 'a point' presupposes inherent rationalism and functionality to the design, circumstance, and ecology of human geography. As you point out, there are aporias within the contemporary logic of civilization - namely that the description of (as some might argue, i.e. enlightenment philosophy) civilization is a teleological progression from the state of nature to a state of human perfection is in conflict with such contemporary realities as insolvant ecological practices, endless wars (partly) over the control of resources, and the systemic subordination of some peoples to others in order to cheaply produce the material elements of one civilization's existance. We can certainly RATIONALIZE civilization, but there is certainly not a single reason or point to it. Given the complexity of it, this is somewhat like asking for reason from a particular ecosystem: "What is the point of a tundra?"

Answer 2

The most prominent change from previous civilization games is the graphics. The game world is now completely 3D. Rivers, resources, and terrain improvements are all animated, making the map come alive like never before. You will also be able to smoothly zoom in from a rotating global view all the way down to the city level, as well as change the camera angle to a Civ2 style isometric view or a Civ1 style top-down view. All city improvements and wonders are now directly visible on the map, so if you build the Pyramid, it will appear within that city's radius. Fans who missed the Civ2 wonder movies will be happy to know that wonder movies are making a return in Civilization IV! There are about 45 movies total in Civ4.

Answer 3

What is the point of civilization is your question. Civilization is simply a banding together with like people of common interests to form a mutually protective society and environment.
Community development and the development of the mall society probably does not truly serve society, and you are right, often buries productive ground.
So what is the point of all of this. In spite of all the drawbacks, America is still the best place in the world to live -- and the most free.

Answer 4

You ask a question in looking for answers to a thought, or problem that exhists to find resolution. You have commented and typed up some interesting topics, but it's not as if Society hasn't understood the the downfall economically due to what you have written.
Good Points!!

Answer 5

There are some internal conflicts in the point---but people live to achieve better live standards. If there are no controversies among the interests of other people, then to make oneself important is the point of civilization.

Answer 6

the point is to aid in survival. generally, everyone wants to live, and civilization allows the most people to survive. Yes, smaller numbers would be more efficient, but then who gets to choose who lives and who doesn't?

Answer 7

In a nut shell, civilization was created by big business and government so that we would have to buy their products and have to follow their laws, all this to make them feel good.

Answer 8

More is accomplished if labor is divided in such a way that each person can focus all of there energy on mastering one trade.

Answer 9

Whatever is not as 'part, whole, equivalence, uniqueness, limit, link, sensation, influence, derivative, origin, condition, rule, intent, and fulfillment' is not the point of civilization.

Answer 10

there is no point, it's just a consequence.