Beyond Civilized and Primitve

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, Practical Politics, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book Beyond Civilized and Primitve by Ran Prieur, Buzzard
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Author: Ran Prieur ISBN: 1230000392037
Publisher: Buzzard Publication: November 15, 2012
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Ran Prieur
ISBN: 1230000392037
Publisher: Buzzard
Publication: November 15, 2012
Imprint:
Language: English

​This ebook has been ported from theanarchistlibrary.org.

Western industrial society tells a story about itself that goes like this: “A long time ago, our ancestors were ‘primitive’. They lived in caves, were stupid, hit each other with clubs, and had short, stressful lives in which they were constantly on the verge of starving or being eaten by saber-toothed cats. Then we invented ‘civilization’, in which we started growing food, being nice to each other, getting smarter, inventing marvelous technologies, and everywhere replacing chaos with order. It’s getting better all the time and will continue forever.”

Western industrial society is now in decline, and in declining societies it’s normal for people to feel that their whole existence is empty and meaningless, that the system is rotten to its roots and should all be torn up and thrown out. It’s also normal for people to frame this rejection in whatever terms their society has given them. So we reason: “This world is hell, this world is civilization, so civilization is hell, so maybe primitive life was heaven. Maybe the whole story is upside-down!”

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

​This ebook has been ported from theanarchistlibrary.org.

Western industrial society tells a story about itself that goes like this: “A long time ago, our ancestors were ‘primitive’. They lived in caves, were stupid, hit each other with clubs, and had short, stressful lives in which they were constantly on the verge of starving or being eaten by saber-toothed cats. Then we invented ‘civilization’, in which we started growing food, being nice to each other, getting smarter, inventing marvelous technologies, and everywhere replacing chaos with order. It’s getting better all the time and will continue forever.”

Western industrial society is now in decline, and in declining societies it’s normal for people to feel that their whole existence is empty and meaningless, that the system is rotten to its roots and should all be torn up and thrown out. It’s also normal for people to frame this rejection in whatever terms their society has given them. So we reason: “This world is hell, this world is civilization, so civilization is hell, so maybe primitive life was heaven. Maybe the whole story is upside-down!”

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