The Ecological Limits of Civilizations

Focus is on whether ecological plunder is a significant cause in the decline of societies & civilizations. Examining civilizations from the 4th century to the 20th in regard to a distinction between interior & exterior exchange systems, with the latter encompassing ecological or environmenta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social Science Information/Information sur les Sciences Sociales 1976-01, Vol.15 (1), p.7-31
Main Author: Pomian, Krzysztof
Format: Article
Language:fre
Subjects:
Civilization/Civilizations
Ecology/Ecological/Ecologically/ Ecologist/ Ecologists
Exchange/Exchanges
External/Externalization/Externals
Internal/Internalize/Internalized/ Internalist
Limit/Limits/Limited
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Summary:Focus is on whether ecological plunder is a significant cause in the decline of societies & civilizations. Examining civilizations from the 4th century to the 20th in regard to a distinction between interior & exterior exchange systems, with the latter encompassing ecological or environmental exchanges, shows that environmental degradation is only one feature of civilization decline. Decline of maintenance depends on a complicated state of quasi-equilibrium between the elements of both the interior & exterior exchange systems. This state is problematic because it is not self-regulating; groups that interact within it must have an interest in regulating it. The interior system rests on relations of power & force, placing some in a position of privilege. The exterior system, of which environmental relations are only a part, involves a disproportionate relation in causes & effects: local causes cannot disrupt the system unless the global system is in an unstable condition. Environmental crises are not self-causing, but result instead from interior-exterior exchanges relations. G. Hydoski.
ISSN:0539-0184