Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that each of the component
elements making up the expanding civilization--each people, city, state,
nation, empire--developed its own total culture pattern, subject to the
pressures mutually exerted by neighboring communities. The aggregate of
these culture patterns, separately and often antagonistically matured,
comprised a lesser totality called an empire and a larger totality
called a civilization. It is with this larger totality that we are
concerned.
We propose to analyse the sociology of civilization under the following
headings: (1) the structure or anatomy; (2) the function, physiology, or
process; (3) motive forces in civilization; (4) contradictions and
conflicts, with a final section on the life cycle of civilization.
The structure of human society consists of specialized economic,
political, administrative and cultural groupings assembled and
maintained in relationships that supply necessities, conveniences,
comforts, luxuries for the individuals, together with capital goods and
services for the social groups composing the civilization.
In terms of social history the growth of structure has proceeded from
the horde, tribe and clan to the family, village, city, city-state,
nation, empire, civilization. These steps are not necessarily
sequential. Under varying social conditions they have been determined
and modified by particular historical situations.
Pages:
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153