Thread: Great Civilisations Rise and Fall.

When your Sporting Team gets loaded down with exceptionally brilliant members, players etc, then it is understandable that the team does well, probably takes the Cup at the end of the Season. I believe it is so with Great Civilisations. The right people in the right place at the right time. The endurance and imprint of a particular Civilisation lasts just so long as the reins are held by the right people. The structure of the Law System. The adequate provision of Goods and Services for all Classes within the Civilisation. Distraction and satisfaction among the people themselves must be maintained at a level that allows for little dissatisfaction. Then something happens. Perhaps they fail to protect themselves from an invading Force. Perhaps a Climate situation developes. Perhaps a Catastrophy occurs. Perhaps the Leaders become corrupt. Perhaps the Mental Giants required to keep the Civilisation going are no longer around. So to the point. Is the Rise and Fall of Civilisations inevitable? When I look around at other organised Specie, say Ant Colonies, or Native Bee Colonies, do they rise and fall? Does Time catch up with all ? Like Birth followed by Death? Do you think This Thread should have been Posted in the Philosophy Forum.? I'm trying to keep all Members fit by contributing whenever I think I have a worthwhile Thread. westwind.

Is the Rise and Fall of Civilisations inevitable?

It is if they don't manage their water supplies properly.

Many of the documentary series I've seen recently emphasised how far too many of these apparently impressive organisations with massive buildings still standing seemed to just fade away. Historians and archeologists are finding that the big issue is always resources, usually water.

They might have been overrun by invaders or somesuch, but the reason they fell was that they were already unsustainable. Weakened by overreliance on imported materials or extravagance in exploiting or polluting water or land resources. Remember, Greece was not always a bare, rocky place with thin soils. It was forested just like the rest of the northern shores of the Mediterranean. They cut all the trees down for ship building - great for creating, expanding and maintaining naval, fishing, trading, expeditionary fleets. Disastrous for the millennia to follow.

Yes adelady, I believe that adequate clean water resources and the conservative management of same is the most likely cause of fragmentation amongst these Civilisations. Also what may happen to the original organisation is that the population increases rapidly, because it's a desirable place to live, and the local birthrate goes up with children living longer in the good conditions. More demand on available water resources. It is a wonder to me why intelligent Leaders, capable of many innovations, do not seem to understand the need for conservation. Looking back just a few hundred years it would be fair to say, as a general concept, we as a people were more brutish, not a lot of refinement, live for the day, tomorrow will take care of itself. Unfortunately this is not the case. westwind.