The Project Gutenberg EBook of Civilization and Beyond, by Scott Nearing

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Civilization and Beyond
Learning From History

Author: Scott Nearing

Release Date: May 10, 2004 [EBook #12320]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CIVILIZATION AND BEYOND ***

Produced by Matthew Mello and PG Distributed Proofreaders

[Transcriber's note: The typographical errors of the original are
preserved in this etext.]

CIVILIZATION AND BEYOND

Learning From History

By Scott Nearing

This book is not copyrighted. It may be reproduced by anybody and
distributed in any quantity as a whole. It should not be summarized,
abbreviated, garbled or chopped into out-of-context fragments.

Social Science Institute, Harborside, Maine

August 1975

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface
INTRODUCTION: Thoughts about History and Civilization

PART I _The Pageant of Experiments with Civilization_
1. Experiments in Egypt and Eurasia
2. Rome's Outstanding Experiment
3. The Origins of Western Civilization
4. The Life Cycle of Western Civilization
5. Features Common to Civilizations

PART II _A Social Analysis of Civilization_
6. The Politics of Civilization
7. The Economics of Civilization
8. The Sociology of Civilization
9. Ideologies of Civilization

PART III _Civilization Is Becoming Obsolete_
10. World-wide Revolution Disrupts Civilization
11. Western Civilization Attempts Suicide
12. Talking Peace and Waging War

PART IV _Steps Beyond Civilization_
13. Ten Building Blocks for a New World
14. Moving Toward World Federation
15. Integrating a World Economy
16. Conserving our Natural Environment
17. Re-vamping the Social Life of the Planet
18. Man Could Change Human Nature
19. Man Could Break Out of the Age-Long Prison-House
of Civilization and Enter a New World

PREFACE

LEARNING FROM HISTORY

Human history may be viewed from various angles. The easiest history to
write concerns the doings of a few well known peopl