Is it just me or does anyone else see western civilization as a pyramid scheme?
2 thoughts on “Is It Just Me Or…”
I’m probably not gleaming some inside stimuli motivating your query. However, anthropologically, civilization evolved from apical ancestors forming kin and clan types that evolved into tribal structures. For example, a chief, elders, hunters, foragers evolved within the tribe. This organic development; that is, a stratified social organization could be perceived as the earliest pyramidal structure.
As it evolved westward, Greece created “city-states” to organize a larger subordinated society under a “rule of law”. Romans expanded the concept (often by conquest) unto traditional tribal societies throughout the Mediterranean and into the north.
The development of mercantilism and capitalism further stratified subgroups into layers building that impression of a pyramidal structure.
Even if an anarchical society exists, there is some order albeit potentially classless and “leaderless”. Thus, all civilization could be viewed as a “pyramid”.
There is no hidden motivation although I intended to be somewhat vague to see where it goes.
I have no quarrel with your point, but the historical record doesn’t really address the question of whether the current apical (western) civilization is a pyramid scheme (where collapse is ultimately assured). It only illustrates that its predecessors were (and did).
I once thought that pointing out the similarities between modern civilization and the collapsed empires of history was enough to convince people that we should (as a society if not a race) change course. But that’s not the case. We’ve all heard that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, but most of us are too involved in the here and now to learn from the there and then.
I’m probably not gleaming some inside stimuli motivating your query. However, anthropologically, civilization evolved from apical ancestors forming kin and clan types that evolved into tribal structures. For example, a chief, elders, hunters, foragers evolved within the tribe. This organic development; that is, a stratified social organization could be perceived as the earliest pyramidal structure.
As it evolved westward, Greece created “city-states” to organize a larger subordinated society under a “rule of law”. Romans expanded the concept (often by conquest) unto traditional tribal societies throughout the Mediterranean and into the north.
The development of mercantilism and capitalism further stratified subgroups into layers building that impression of a pyramidal structure.
Even if an anarchical society exists, there is some order albeit potentially classless and “leaderless”. Thus, all civilization could be viewed as a “pyramid”.
There is no hidden motivation although I intended to be somewhat vague to see where it goes.
I have no quarrel with your point, but the historical record doesn’t really address the question of whether the current apical (western) civilization is a pyramid scheme (where collapse is ultimately assured). It only illustrates that its predecessors were (and did).
I once thought that pointing out the similarities between modern civilization and the collapsed empires of history was enough to convince people that we should (as a society if not a race) change course. But that’s not the case. We’ve all heard that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, but most of us are too involved in the here and now to learn from the there and then.