Definition of Civilization
The term ‘civilization’ is a state of human society that is very developed and organized. It comes from the Latin word ‘civilis’, meaning a ‘citizen’ or ‘townsman’ governed by the law of his city. According to Arnold J. Toynbee (1957), one of the greatest historians in the world, civilization is a movement and not a condition; a voyage and not a harbour. Civilization can be distinguished from other cultures by their high level of social complexity and organization, and by their diverse economic and cultural activities. It has been defined and understood in a number of ways different from the standard definition. Sometimes it is used synonymously with the broader term ‘culture’. Civilization can also describe the culture of a complex society, not just the society itself. Every society, civilization or not, has a specific set of ideas and customs, and a certain set of items and arts, that make it unique. Civilizations have even more intricate cultures, including literature, professional art, architecture, organized religion, and complex customs associated with the elite.
QUOTES ON CIVILIZATION
Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
~ Mahatma Gandhi
We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.
~ Albert Einstein
Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, stealing, shouting and doing things historians usually record, while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry ... The story of civilization is what happened on the banks.
~ Will Durant