Civilization is a label that has long been used to distinguish societies in terms of their culture, technology and societal structures. The word evokes a broad tapestry of societal progress, from etiquette and social rules to metallurgy and scientific understanding. But it is also a term that carries with it an inherent value judgment, suggesting that civilizations are better or more advanced than non-civilized societies. Archaeologists, anthropologists and historians have debated the merits of this assumption.
The word “civilization” comes from the Latin civitas, meaning “city.” In general, a civilization is a large and permanent group of people that live together in cities, towns and villages. Typically, these communities have a legal system and a way of getting food from their environment. Most civilizations also have a cultural heritage, organized religion and other cultural traditions.
These characteristics allow civilizations to develop, trade and interact with each other. They are also a key to the development of many human inventions, including architecture, art, writing and music. Civilizations have also left an indelible mark on the physical world through public works projects, including grand monuments and infrastructure systems that improve the quality of life and foster connectivity.
While the origins of civilization are a complex and multifaceted question, scholars have narrowed down the possibilities to two major theories. One, known as the functionalist theory, focuses on how civilizations are built through the provision of public goods such as trade, healthcare and irrigation systems. The other, based on conflict, suggests that civilizations are created through the coercive force of warfare and conquest.
Early on in the evolution of civilization, the earliest human groups lived in bands, small groups of 25-60 individuals related through family and marriage ties and largely mobile hunter/gatherers. These groups were usually based in river valleys that provided the opportunity for agricultural advancement. Over time, these societies evolved into highly complex civilizations, characterized by urban centers and a division of labor. They were organized into hierarchies that included kings, nobles, freemen and slaves. They had an impressive range of cultural accomplishments, including organized religion, and a growing awareness of the laws of nature, mathematics, science and technology.
The term “civilization” was applied to a number of societies throughout the world in the twentieth century, but most early historians were white males with European ancestry, and their concept of what made civilizations different from non-civilized societies was largely influenced by their own values and biases. Today, scholars are still working to develop more accurate and objective criteria for what constitutes a civilization. This will allow them to compare and contrast a wide variety of cultures and make a truer accounting of the development of the human race. These new criteria should be able to reflect the true breadth of human development and will help us understand why some civilizations thrived while others were crushed by war or disease. Ultimately, the best definition of civilization may be the genuine presence of goodness, truth and beauty in a society that is animated by love.