The Fall of Civilizations: Lessons from History
When I read history, there is usually a space between the people of the past and our present time. Life is vastly different from those before me, from a technological standpoint and the culture and how those people thought of themselves. But sometimes stories are presented to give you a new perspective on how you look at history. The book Fall of Civilizations by Paul Cooper and his podcast by the same name did that for me.
The best way I can describe human history is as fascinating and unbelievable as a fantasy book. But incredibly, it all happened with real people, who were undoubtedly embellished by time and their reporting. But it is not unsurprising when most past culture saw their leaders as god-made humans.
How could history be made so compelling? For me, the author provides contemporary sources for each civilization discussed. So, instead of people like myself commenting far removed, you get accounts that carry the proper tone instead of someone with modern sensibilities. It is also interesting to see how different cultures viewed others this way and where great cultures moved at the borders.
Also, it's worth mentioning that even though the title is about falling, it's also about the greatness each civilization reached, for a fall can't occur without achieving some heights. But even as a fall might seem like the end of a paragraph or chapter, unless humanity is gone forever, a new people or culture will always fill the void.
While it seems unimaginable for the world as we know it to end at some point in the future, this "world" will end, and from that, a new age will begin. What makes me sad about our time is that past cultures used stone and clay to inscribe and build grand monuments. We won't leave as much behind, at least not in our words. Sure, the concert and steel of buildings will remain, but some future people might find the remnants of our computers and hard drives but not have a way to read what is on them. Once electricity is removed, all the data that encapsulates human knowledge will vanish.
It's not surprising, as with many cultures, we lose the ability to read a language, and instead of our language being a script or etching, ours is one of electricity and code. Yet this is what I mean by the perspective shift from reading this book. The store is one of a continuum, and it has been passed down from one civilization to another. At times, seeing the "bones" of those before gets us to imagine, like the dark age Europeans say of the leftovers of the Romans in Britain.
Maybe the story of humanity isn't rising and falling in a never-ending cycle. But another way to view is unification and fragmenting. Many great stories start with a great unifier who gives people a north star to believe in and build upon. Then, after that great ruler declines, the question of secession rears its head. This may be one of the essential takeaways in human history, and we needed to create a system of government that could withstand the transition of power, hopefully not a dynastic system, because, over time, the heirs get antsy. It divides the ruling party into more minor factions, all vying for their chance at rule. Thus, the fragmentation begins anew. In the modern context, the cycle of unification and fragmenting continues in different forms. However, it remains to be seen whether contemporary systems are more resilient than previous civilizations.
The book's last few chapters revolve around the New World civilizations and their contact with the Old World Europeans. At the same time, colonialism has primarily been derided in the past few decades. Since those in Europe and Asia all shared space, the interactions of these equally great civilizations are a much different tale unfolding. At the same time, the people from the New World say people are sailing on massive ships while those coming could see cultures totally for them. However, it was primarily one-sided since the New World didn't possess the technology to sail the oceans. In other times, conquest had great armies marching on battlefields. The turmoil of the New World was darker, but unfortunately, those of the time had little understanding of what was happening. In the accounts provided, the Mayans fell ill rapidly by what most historians believe is smallpox since they had no natural immunity. So, even if first contact were peaceful, the diseases would spread rapidly. At this time, medicine was still rudimentary by any standards, so the Europeans couldn't have known the danger they brought with them. And even in subsequent visits, they would find once flourishing villages abandoned, having been wiped out by the diseases.
In a more contemporary sense, it makes me wonder how we can better contextualize "invisible" threats. With COVID, we had similar reactions, but it was still hard for us to implement a proper plan. One day, we may be caught off guard, like these once-great civilizations brought down by a threat not so easily seen, such as an army outside your gates.
The book spends the last few chapters telling the story of the people of what is now known as Easter Island. What was most fascinating is that accounting did not follow what has become a prevailing theory of a civilization that doesn't manage its resources. The author cautions us from using modern frameworks to describe their collapse. With the new world, the answer is the same. Once the Europeans made contact, smallpox arrived and spread rapidly. Also, the culture collapsed as its people lost faith in the Maoi because it was rooted in their belief in the protection they provided and yet did not protect them from the cannons and guns they offered. I can imagine having a crisis of meaning if the way you lived was completely turned on its side after coming into contact with such a different culture. Not unlike an alien civilization that can travel the stars effortlessly.
In all, the Fall of Civilization is a book on perspective that facilitates looking at history more actively than seeing those long dead; instead, each great civilization passed down knowledge and left something behind for those that would rise from the ashes. In many ways, it's the story of humanity. The hopes and dreams from the past are not much different than any of us. We might have more elaborate ways of thinking about some parts, but they remain mostly unchanged at the core. One day, our civilization will be remembered as it is, but the chapter is still being written.
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