Civilization
A civilization needs a form of government (a set of laws), a form of education, skilled workers, an agricultural surplus to feed the skilled workers, law enforcement, economy, and a currency or trading system.
Civilization has also been defined by Clyde Kluckhohn as having "three essential criteria for civilization: towns containing more than 5000 people, writing, and monumental ceremonial centers".[1]
In order to attain these prerequisites a group of humans must have climbed up the ladder of Technological Development necessary to attain them.
Three major attributes of every civilization include:
- Urbanism - There must be cities to have civilization.
- Politics - There must be something to bring the people together.
- Religion - There must be a code of conduct or standard of morality to maintain civilization (see also: Atheism and its anti-civilizational effects).
- People with common language, customs, government, and economy, earliest in Mesopotamia 2300 BC, Northeast China (the Liao civilization), Peru (Norte Chico civilization), and Egypt.
Positives
- More people, more sedentary, more predicable
- More & Better food, clothing, and shelter
- Lifespan increases
- Sophisticated religion and technology
Negatives
- Tyrannical rule
- Conscription & War
Western civilization
Bernard Lewis wrote, "... the United States is the legitimate heir of European civilization and the recognized and unchallenged leader of the West."[2]