are we becoming more civilized?

[dominatrixjane]

are we becoming more civilized?

if you think yes

than please explain in detail why

if you believe no

than please explain in detail why


thank you

 

[LupusDei]

Extremely complicated question with a catch or few in it.

Who are we? The human civilisation as a whole? If yes, about what time frames we are talking, and can compound achievements of isolated groups of distant past we know very little about be compared to global layman trends of the last decades?

Care to define civilized? What objective measurements, if any could illustrate trends?

There is saying, total amount of stupidity in the world never changes. The same can be said about wisdom (not to be confused with information or education - both of those clearly increase over time in quantitative terms (yet another question about quality)).

Up to the recent past (have no knowledge about current status) there was basically nude living hunter-gatherer communities at least as civilized as networked upper class western citizens, competitive in life expectancy, and certainly having more free time for communication. Then, it is possible to argue those groups had exactly the same total time to perfect their respective cultures since the first known jewellery was made at least eighty thousand years ago. So, they may not provide the comparison we are seeking.

Greek philosophy developed in rather isolated upper class on a background of slavery and brutal warfare.

Encyclopedic minds of eighteenth and nineteenth century coexisted with mind bending poverty.

Chivalry had no less nor significantly more complex rules of engagement than modern armies; both had been violated routinely, resultant victories celebrated.

All that said, I'm an optimist, I do believe some meaningless median measurement of undefinable civilized-ity has uneven upwards trend for at least roughly past thousand years. If you need details I may invite you to contemplate differences in methods and attitudes between inquisition and holocaust. Well, does not compare adequately, but nothing would.

The last thirty years or so I would rather perceive as slight dent or stagnation at best. Look at the great movies of the eighties. Back then (as a teenager) I was convinced nudism will be boring norm by now.

Seriously, I could propose attitude to non-sexual nudity as a measure of civilized-ity (since we are on a porn board after all). I do believe it beautifully illustrate overall tolerance, privacy, freedom and perceived sense of security.

Then, I believe it is tangible business interests that benefit from oversexualization of everything, nudity including, so it might be skewed and need adjustment accounting for that. Or not, if we see market forces having increasing effect on mass perception as sign of falling civilized-ity. Also, a world without privacy will be very lonely place.

 

[rae121452]

define "civilized".

 

[LincolnDuncan]

are we becoming more civilized?

if you think yes

than please explain in detail why

if you believe no

than please explain in detail why


thank you

Humanity becoming civilized is an excruciatingly long process.

 

[DMBFFF]

Generally the world is, but Israel less so.

 

[Jada59]

Who is "we"? I hate generalities.