Have We Become Overcivilised?

Please note that the venue is in the vicinity of the Scott Monument and will be announced to RSVPing members closer to the event date. We will NOT be meeting at the monument, itself.

.

For this event, we’ll be using a short reading from Christopher Ryan’s 2019 book, Civilized to Death, as a conversation-starter for a discussion about the nature of ‘progress’ and the possibility of becoming ‘overcivilised,’ especially in the context of Western European societies.

Here’s a description of the book from the publisher:

“We hear some myths and lies so frequently that they feel like truths: Civilization is humankind’s greatest accomplishment. Progress is undeniable…You’re lucky to be alive here and now. Well, maybe we are and maybe we aren’t. Civilized to Death counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the ‘progress’ defining our age is analogous to an advancing disease…

“At a time when our ecology, our society, and our own sense of selves feels increasingly imperiled, an accurate understanding of our species’ long prelude to civilization is vital to a clear sense of the ultimate value of civilization—and its costs.

“In Civilized to Death, Ryan makes the claim that we should start looking backwards to find our way into a better future.”

Find the reading here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19MgGFeRp9UkKpVDdmvB6pF37VuhZny6G/view?usp=sharing

We hope you can join us!

C&S