La 4e de couverture indique : "Dans cet ouvrage de référence consacré à une analyse approfondie du thème du consentement aux soins dans la pratique médicale, M.-F. Civil porte son regard de médecin et de philosophe sur les comportements de bon nombre de praticiens à l'heure actuelle plus ou moins soumis à la « mathématisation » de la médecine. Loin de se contenter d'un état des lieux complet de la question, il nous conduit pas à pas sur les chemins d'une (...) « éthique existentielle » tout à fait singulière, renvoyant à des situations pratiques de soins où délibérer avant d'agir et réfléchir à l'action déjà prise permet aux patients d'exprimer le sens donné à leur vécu dans le cadre de leur projet de vie immédiate ou future. Son approche très phénoménologique, aux côtés notamment de Heidegger et Husserl, ouvre la porte à un vaste chantier de réflexion pour tous ceux qui envisagent de se pencher sur la manière concrète d'être-au-monde en médecine comme souci pour soi et pour les autres. Ainsi ce livre interpelle les étudiants, les chercheurs, les professionnels de santé, mais également tous ceux qui ont été, ou seront, tôt ou tard, confrontés au problème du consentement.". (shrink)

Writing in 1978, on the eve of Thatcherism’s political triumph, the cultural theorist Stuart Hall (Hall et al., 2013, p. 193) claimed Britain was experiencing a ‘crisis of hegemony’; a political, e...

Human civilization has developed over thousands of years of intellectual exploration and social practice. From ancient philosophical reflection to modern scientific rationality, humanity has continually sought to understand the fundamental laws of the universe, life, and society. However, a historical overview reveals deep-seated problems in civilization’s development: ecological destruction, excessive energy consumption, technological runaway, and fragile social institutions. These are not merely local phenomena but inevitable consequences of increasing entropy within civilization systems and fundamental errors in cognitive (...) structures. -/- This book centers on the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology as its theoretical framework, proposing the theory of Natural Civilization and integrating it with modern cosmology, ecology, complex systems theory, and AI governance. Together, these form a comprehensive philosophical and scientific system connecting cosmic order, the evolution of life, ecosystems, and human civilization. The core principle of Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology is: “Human follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, Dao follows Nature”. Through the cosmological generation chain—Dao generates One, One generates Two, Two generates Three, Three generates All Things—the Milky Way, solar system, Earth, Moon, and human civilization are closely linked. This framework extends philosophical reflection into a scientific basis for civilization design and governance. -/- In the first part, the book begins with the systemic crises facing human civilization, analyzing the multi-dimensional ecological, technological, financial, and institutional challenges of modern society. It argues that the deep roots of these crises lie in cognitive structural errors and the limitations of rational civilization. On this basis, it introduces the theory of the Three Great Illusions in the History of Human Thought: the Cosmic Illusion, the Theological Illusion, and the Civilizational Illusion. These reveal how traditional civilization has long misaligned humanity’s understanding of cosmic order, natural law, and anthropocentrism, laying the theoretical foundation for a Fourth Intellectual Revolution. -/- In the second part, the book systematically presents the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology, exploring the philosophical foundations of the universe, the cosmic order chain, and the cosmological generation chain. By combining scientific reasoning with modern cosmology, the book demonstrates that civilization is not an isolated social system but a multi-layered complex system embedded within Earth’s ecology, the solar energy network, and the Milky Way’s order. Understanding this relational order is key to sustainable, long-term, and low-entropy operation of human civilization. -/- In the third part, the book explores the structure of cosmic systems and civilization, introducing “Cosmic Energy Structures and Civilizational Forms” and the Civilizational Entropy Theory, revealing the energy constraints and entropy-increasing mechanisms of civilizational evolution. Through ecosystem analysis, it emphasizes the conditions for civilizational stability and strategies for long-term development, showing that civilization must be embedded within ecological feedback, energy cycles, and complex system regulation. -/- In the fourth part, the book proposes the concepts of Natural Civilization, Natural Cybernetics, and the Natural Protocol, clarifying the systemic rules that civilization must follow. Natural Civilization is not only a philosophical concept but also an actionable framework encompassing energy cycles, ecosystem management, and AI-assisted governance. The Natural Protocol, as the core framework for civilizational practice, integrates ecological, energy, social, and technological systems to achieve self-organization, negative feedback regulation, and low-entropy operation. -/- In the fifth part, the book examines the core significance of the Fourth Human Intellectual Revolution and envisions the future trajectory of civilization. Artificial intelligence civilization is regarded as a practical tool for implementing Natural Civilization. By embedding the Natural Protocol, it enables dynamic optimization of complex systems. The ultimate goal is tian-ren he-yi—harmony between humans and the cosmos—achieving the ultimate philosophical elevation of civilization, allowing humanity to coexist in balance within cosmic order and ecosystems, becoming part of universal intelligence rather than a destructive force. -/- The academic significance of this book is twofold: it tightly integrates ancient philosophical wisdom with modern science, providing a unified theoretical framework for the study of civilizational philosophy, ecology, cosmology, and complex systems; and it provides practical approaches for civilizational design and governance, particularly in energy management, AI application, and long-term sustainable development. Across the book, readers gain a multi-dimensional understanding—philosophical, scientific, and institutional—of Natural Civilization and the systemic relationships between humanity, the cosmos, ecology, and technology, offering both theoretical and practical guidance for the Fourth Human Intellectual Revolution. -/- In short, this book is both a reflection on intellectual history and an exploration of scientific philosophy, as well as a forward-looking guide to civilizational practice. It aims to provide a complete theoretical framework and actionable blueprint for the long-term stability, ecological harmony, and intelligent development of human civilization. -/- . (shrink)

In this classic work, Herbert Marcuse takes as his starting point Freud's statement that civilization is based on the permanent subjugation of the human instincts, his reconstruction of the prehistory of mankind - to an interpretation of the basic trends of western civilization, stressing the philosophical and sociological implications.

In this classic work, Herbert Marcuse takes as his starting point Freud's statement that civilization is based on the permanent subjugation of the human instincts, his reconstruction of the prehistory of mankind - to an interpretation of the basic trends of western civilization, stressing the philosophical and sociological implications.

Painless civilization is a term I coined in my Japanese book of the same title, which was published in 2003. Contemporary civilization aims to provide pleasure and comfort and eliminate pain and suffering as much as possible. This is especially evident in advanced countries. Contemporary civilization is moving toward a painless civilization. However, in a painless civilization, we are deprived of the joy of life, which is considered a fundamental source of meaning in life, and (...) we are led toward the situation of drowning in a sea of pleasure. This is a kind of dystopia, and we cannot find an easy way to escape from it. It is important to pay special attention to this aspect of contemporary civilization when we think about the future of our planet. (shrink)

Civil disobedience, despite its illegal nature, can sometimes be justified vis-à-vis the duty to obey the law, and, arguably, is thereby not liable to legal punishment. However, adhering to the demands of justice and refraining from punishing justified civil disobedience may lead to a highly problematic theoretical consequence: the debilitation of civil disobedience. This is because, according to the novel analysis I propose, civil disobedience primarily functions as a costly social signal. It is effective by being reliable, reliable by being (...) costly, and costly primarily by being punished. My analysis will highlight a distinctive feature of civil disobedience: civil disobedients leverage the punitive injustice they suffer to amplify their communicative force. This will lead to two paradoxical implications. First, the instability of the moral status of both civil disobedience and its punishment to the extent where the state may be left with no permissible course of action with regard to punishing civil disobedience. Second, by refraining from punishing justified civil disobedience, the state may render uncivil disobedience—illegal political activities that fall short of the standards of civil disobedience—potentially permissible. (shrink)

From a scientific-philosophical perspective, this paper systematically explores the theory of natural civilization, proposing that human civilization should be embedded within the Dao–Sun–Earth–Moon system to achieve low-entropy, rhythmically aligned, and long-term stable development. By analyzing the structural imbalance of modern civilization, it reveals how the logic of infinite growth, artificial acceleration mechanisms, energy overuse, and the disruption of social rhythms threaten long-term civilizational stability. The paper introduces the Natural Civilization Index (NCI) and the Civilization Evolution (...) Model (CEM), which quantify the degree to which civilization aligns with natural rhythms across energy, ecological, social, and cultural dimensions, and simulate adaptive, accelerated, and collapse-type civilizational evolution paths. Based on this indicator system, practical strategies and implementation plans for natural civilization are proposed, including energy and resource management, ecosystem monitoring with feedback mechanisms, social institutions and cultural design, and phased technology-assisted optimization. Furthermore, a long-term monitoring and assessment framework is constructed, employing dynamic NCI evaluation, CEM simulation, and risk early-warning systems to achieve civilizational self-correction and resilience building. The study demonstrates that adherence to natural rhythms, maintaining low-entropy development, strengthening institutional resilience, and internalizing cultural values are core principles for long-term civilizational evolution and global sustainable development. This paper provides theoretical and practical references for scientifically-philosophical governance of civilization, the construction of low-entropy sustainable systems, and the long-term integration of technology with nature, emphasizing that human civilization should respect natural laws and maintain enduring coordination with the Dao–Sun–Earth–Moon system. -/- . (shrink)

Contemporary human civilization stands at an unprecedented threshold: immense technological, cognitive, and material power coexists with structural fragility, ecological instability, and existential uncertainty. Crises that appear distinct—climatic, social, and epistemic—are manifestations of a single, deeper disorder: civilization’s misplacement within the cosmic order. -/- This paper employs the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology to articulate the concept of Natural Civilization, situating human society within cosmic generation, ecological constraints, and process philosophy. Humanity is not the center of the universe; science and (...) technology must remain subordinate to generative and ecological limits; civilization’s sustainability depends on self-restraint and participatory engagement. -/- Five core dimensions of Natural Civilization are examined: non-centrality of the cosmos, non-exceptionality of humanity, generative order, epistemic fallibility, and technological humility. The work culminates in seven non-negotiable principles of survival, providing a philosophical, scientific, and institutional foundation for sustainable civilization. -/- 自然文明；老–杨创世纪宇宙观；宇宙生成；生态约束；过程哲学；科学边界；技术节制 -/- Natural Civilization; Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology; Cosmic Generation; Ecological Constraint; Process Philosophy; Limits of Science; Technological Restraint -/- . (shrink)

Natural Civilization: From Fallen Human Civilization to Natural (Cosmic Divine) Civilization systematically analyzes the structural problems in the evolution of human civilization from a science-philosophical perspective, revealing the root causes of civilizational collapse and proposing a long-term stability framework centered on cosmic law. Volume I discusses the ontological inversion caused by anthropocentrism, revealing how artificial deities, ideology, and highly concentrated power distort civilizational structures. Volume II establishes cosmic hierarchical laws based on the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology, elucidating (...) the generative chain from Dao (the Milky Way) to the Sun, Earth, Moon, and all life, emphasizing that life and civilization must follow self-organizing cosmic principles. Volume III presents the philosophical core of Natural Civilization, highlighting that civilization should be law-led, achieving systemic order through balance, cycles, synergy, and feedback mechanisms, rather than being centered on human will. Volume IV designs the institutional architecture of Natural Civilization, including circular economy, distributed governance, science-philosophical education, and ecologically coordinated technological innovation, providing practical models for a functional civilization system. Volume V constructs an operational model for Natural Civilization, implementing information feedback, entropy management, resilience design, and extension of civilization to the cosmic scale, achieving long-term self-organization and stability. The work integrates cosmology, complex systems theory, and philosophical reasoning, offering both a theoretical framework and practical roadmap for humanity to reshape its relationship with nature, shift civilization from domination to compliance with cosmic order, and achieve intergenerational sustainability and long-term cosmic stability. -/- . (shrink)

Throughout the long course of human history, humanity’s understanding of the universe, life, and civilization has continuously evolved. From ancient observations of celestial phenomena to modern cosmology, from mythological explanations to scientific experimentation, human beings have persistently attempted to answer three fundamental questions: What is the universe? Where does life come from? How should civilization operate? -/- The book Universe—Life—Civilization aims to systematically address these three questions through the method of scientific philosophical reasoning, and to attempt to (...) construct a unified theoretical framework that connects the universe, life, and civilization. -/- The core methodology of this work is Scientific Philosophical Reasoning. This approach not only focuses on the objective laws of nature, but also emphasizes holistic philosophical thinking, integrating the hierarchical structure of the universe, the mechanisms of life evolution, and the principles of civilization governance. It balances empirical observation with rational analysis, combining scientific evidence with philosophical reflection, enabling readers to understand natural laws while gaining insight into the deeper logic of human society and civilization. -/- Part I, Cosmic Ontology, examines the fundamental structure of the universe from both philosophical and scientific perspectives. It proposes “Dao” as the fundamental law of the universe, arguing that the universe is not random and chaotic, but follows a deep and unified order. From the structure and gravitational system of galaxies, to the roles of dark matter and dark energy, and further to the self-organizing systems and hierarchical order of the universe, this section attempts to integrate the Daoist concept of “Dao follows nature” with modern cosmological research, providing a scientific–philosophical framework for understanding the nature of the universe. -/- Part II, Cosmic Genesis, focuses on how cosmic structures are generated layer by layer. It proposes a generative chain of “Dao → One → Two → Three → All things,” and explores in detail how galaxies generate solar systems, solar systems generate Earth, Earth generates the Moon, and how life and ecosystems emerge. This section analyzes theories of star and planet formation, the material and energy systems of Earth, and explains the origin of life and the self-organizing mechanisms of ecosystems from a scientific–philosophical perspective, offering both philosophical and scientific insights into the inevitability of life. -/- Part III, Cosmic Cybernetics, proposes that the universe is a self-regulating system, exploring the feedback and regulatory mechanisms among the universe, the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon. It discusses the SEM system (Sun–Earth–Moon), including energy control, material circulation, and rhythmic stabilization, and analyzes how gravitational systems, energy balance, entropy increase with local order, and periodic changes maintain long-term cosmic stability. This section emphasizes that cosmic order is not accidental, but reflects a logic of self-organization and self-regulation inherent in natural systems. -/- Part IV, Evolution of Life, focuses on the relationship between life and the universe. Through the study of chemical evolution, primitive life, genes, and natural selection, it demonstrates the increasing complexity of life. It further examines human evolution, intellectual development, the formation of language, and the origin of civilization. At the same time, it points out that the unlimited greed of human nature is a fundamental problem in the development of civilization, emphasizing the importance of ecological constraints and civilizational self-discipline. -/- Part V, Theory of Civilization Governance, systematically explores how civilization can develop in harmony with natural systems. From the agricultural revolution, urban civilization, and the formation of states, to ecological crises, climate change, and resource depletion, as well as crises of religious belief, political conflict, and technological competition, this section reveals the limitations of traditional civilization. It proposes the theory of natural civilization and the principle of “Human follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Dao, Dao follows Nature,” providing both philosophical and scientific foundations for governance, and emphasizing that civilization must be embedded within cosmic systems and natural laws. -/- Part VI, Artificial Wisdom Civilization, looks toward the future of civilization. It distinguishes between AI (Artificial Intelligence) and AW (Artificial Wisdom), arguing that AW is not merely a tool but a system of intelligent governance capable of restraining human greed, optimizing social decision-making, and ensuring long-term compatibility between civilization and ecological systems. It also analyzes the risks of artificial intelligence civilization, warning of potential crises arising from technological loss of control, changes in economic structure, and transformations in human roles. Ultimately, the integration of artificial wisdom and natural civilization offers a sustainable and intelligent pathway for the future of human civilization. -/- The conclusion of this book proposes a unified theory of Universe—Life—Civilization: the universe is a hierarchical system in which galaxies, solar systems, Earth, the Moon, life, and civilization form an interdependent and progressively structured order. The development of civilization must follow cosmic laws and achieve the unity of natural systems, life systems, and civilization systems. This theory not only provides a philosophical perspective for scientific research, but also offers practical guidance for civilization governance and the future development of society. -/- Through the systematic exposition of this work, readers can, within the framework of scientific philosophical reasoning, reinterpret the position of humanity in the universe, the laws of life evolution, and the fundamental principles of civilization governance, thereby realizing in both thought and practice a future civilization based on “following nature, intelligent governance, and long-term coexistence.” -/- . (shrink)

What is wrong with disobedience? What makes an act of disobedience civil or uncivil? Under what conditions can an act of civil or uncivil disobedience be justified? Can a liberal democratic regime tolerate (un)civil disobedience? This Element book presents the main answers that philosophers and activist-thinkers have offered to these questions. It is organized in 3 parts: Part I presents the main philosophical accounts of civil disobedience that liberal political philosophers and democratic theorists have developed and then conceptualizes uncivil disobedience. (...) Part II examines the origins of disobedience in the praxis of activist-thinkers: Henry David Thoreau on civil resistance, anarchists on direct action, and Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. on nonviolence. Part III takes up the question of violence in defensive action, the requirement that disobedients accept legal sanctions, and the question of whether uncivil disobedience is counterproductive and undermines civic bonds. (shrink)

The goal of this article is to show that mainstream liberal accounts of civil disobedience fail to fully capture the latter’s specific characteristics as a genuinely political and democratic practice of contestation that is not reducible to an ethical or legal understanding either in terms of individual conscience or of fidelity to the rule of law. In developing this account in more detail, I first define civil disobedience with an aim of spelling out why the standard liberal model, while providing (...) a useful starting point, ultimately leads to an overly constrained, domesticated and sanitized understanding of this complex political practice. Second, I place the political practice of civil disobedience between two opposing poles: symbolic politics and real confrontation. I argue that the irreducible tension between these poles precisely accounts for its politicizing and democratizing potential. Finally, I briefly examine the role of civil disobedience in representative democracies, addressing a series of recent challenges made in response to this radically democratic understanding of disobedience. (shrink)

The Civil Economy approach, as developed by Italian economists Luigino Bruni and Stefano Zamagni, aims at introducing reciprocity into the economy as a humanizing factor. Despite being presented as an innovative perspective, the CE approach shares many characteristics with the German model of Social Market Economy. The present paper compares both approaches, showing that they in fact share a normative basis and similar aims but address them from diverse points of view; namely, CE addresses them from a virtue ethics perspective (...) and SME from an institutional ethics one. This leads them to stress different aspects and to focus on diverse problems. Therefore, CE would not constitute an alternative to SME but a complement. Thus, a combination of both approaches should allow each to take advantage of their respective strengths and lead to a better result in terms of the common good. (shrink)

Civility is often treated as an essential virtue in liberal democracies that promise to protect diversity as well as active disagreement in the public sphere. Yet the fear that our tolerant society faces a crisis of incivility is gaining ground. Politicians and public intellectuals call for "more civility" as the solution--but is civility really a virtue? Or is it something more sinister--a covert demand for conformity that silences dissent? Mere Civility sheds light on this tension in contemporary political theory and (...) practice by examining similar appeals to civility in early modern debates about religious toleration. In seventeenth-century England, figures as different as Roger Williams, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke could agree that some restraint on the wars of words and "persecution of the tongue" between sectarians would be required; and yet, they recognized that the prosecution of incivility was often difficult to distinguish from persecution.--. (shrink)

This paper systematically analyzes the thought structures underlying civilization-level madness and their historical catastrophic consequences. Focusing on Zhang Zai’s concept of “Establishing a Heart for Heaven and Earth” and Wang Yangming’s principle of “the Mind is Principle,” it reveals how this philosophical chain grants individual consciousness potential authority over social systems, institutions, and natural laws, forming the foundation of unconstrained subjectivism. The study further examines how Mao Zedong politicized this chain, leading to absolute power, institutional failure, and civilization-level (...) systemic destruction, exemplified by the Great Leap Forward famine and the Cultural Revolution. -/- By comparing the totalitarian regimes of Hitler and Stalin, the paper demonstrates that the destructive potential of the Zhang Zai–Wang Yangming–Mao Zedong chain is more systemic and structural, reflecting the interaction between thought structures and institutional environments that produces “civilization-level madness.” The paper proposes modern societal preventive strategies, including clearly defining the boundaries of rational civilization, critically addressing the expansionist logic of philosophical chains, strengthening institutional checks and balances, and establishing multi-layered protections in education, technology, and ecological systems. -/- The study aims to reveal the fundamental role of thought structures in civilization self-destruction and provides theoretical guidance and practical warnings for preventing systemic disasters in contemporary society. -/- . (shrink)

This paper investigates civility from an Aristotelian perspective and has two objectives. The first is to offer a novel account of this virtue based on Aristotle’s remarks about civic friendship. The proposed account distinguishes two main components of civility—civic benevolence and civil deliberation—and shows how Aristotle’s insights can speak to the needs of our communities today. The notion of civil deliberation is then unpacked into three main dimensions: motivational, inquiry-related, and ethical. The second objective is to illustrate how the post-truth (...) condition—in particular, the spread of misinformation typical of the digital environments we inhabit—obstructs our capacity to cultivate the virtue of civility by impairing every component of civil deliberation. The paper hopes to direct virtue theorists’ attention to the need to foster civic virtues as a means of counteracting the negative aspects of the post-truth age. (shrink)

Preface | Lost in the Light of Cognition: Why Civilization Needs a Fundamental Awakening -/- Throughout the long course of human history, “ignorance” has long constituted the primary boundary of civilizational development. A lack of understanding of natural laws, misjudgments about the structure of the universe, and ambiguity regarding humanity’s own position forced humans to rely on experience, intuition, and trial and error, advancing slowly under limited cognitive conditions. However, since the Scientific Revolution, this situation has undergone a fundamental (...) transformation. -/- From Nicolaus Copernicus’s heliocentric system, to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, to modern physics’ deep revelations of micro and cosmic structures, humanity has gradually moved away from a self-centered worldview and constructed a knowledge system grounded in objective laws. The growth of knowledge has expanded humanity’s capacity to understand the world at an unprecedented rate, compressing the realm of the “unknown” to a significant extent. -/- Intuitively, such cognitive expansion should lead to a more rational, stable, and sustainable form of civilization. Yet reality presents an inverse structure: ecosystems continue to degrade, climate risks keep rising, resource consumption accelerates, and social systems, despite increasing interconnectedness, exhibit greater instability. -/- A deeper issue is that these crises do not arise from “ignorance,” but unfold within the realm of the “known.” -/- Humanity not only recognizes the existence of these problems but also understands their mechanisms and consequences at a scientific level. Yet the overall structure of civilization continues along its established trajectory, unable to undergo fundamental transformation. -/- This phenomenon suggests that the core problem of contemporary civilization is no longer a lack of knowledge, but rather an expanding structural gap between knowledge and reality. Humanity is no longer in a state of ignorance, but in a condition of “cognitive sufficiency coupled with structural mismatch.” -/- This mismatch first manifests as an asymmetry between cognitive structures and complex systems. Human cognition primarily evolved in local, short-term, and low-complexity environments, whereas modern civilization operates within global-scale, highly coupled, and long-duration complex systems. When local rationality is embedded within an overall system, it may no longer produce rational outcomes, but instead become a driver of structural imbalance. -/- Second, this mismatch appears as a disjunction between knowledge and behavior. Modern science can explain the world but does not directly determine behavior. Behavior is constrained by institutional structures, technological pathways, and cultural inertia. Within such a multi-layered system, even if individuals fully “know the correct answer,” the overall system may still evolve along suboptimal or even dangerous trajectories. -/- Third, this mismatch is reflected in humanity’s misrecognition of its own position. Although modern science has long revealed that humanity is not the center of the universe, in real-world institutions and behavioral logic, humans still implicitly occupy a central position, treating nature as an external object and the world as a resource system available for unlimited exploitation and transformation. This shift in cognitive coordinates gradually detaches civilization from the natural constraints upon which it depends. -/- Based on the above analysis, this book advances a core judgment: the crisis of contemporary civilization is essentially a systemic structural mismatch—the inconsistency among cognitive structures, behavioral mechanisms, and real-world constraints. This mismatch is not accidental, but the result of the internal evolution of the modern civilizational trajectory. -/- If this judgment holds, then the solution must also undergo a fundamental shift. Relying solely on technological progress, institutional repair, or local optimization may alleviate certain problems, but cannot address their structural roots. True transformation must occur at a deeper level of cognitive structure—how humanity understands its relationship with the world. -/- In this sense, this book proposes the concept of “awakening,” not in a religious or psychological sense, but as a structural cognitive transformation. It signifies a shift from a self-centered worldview to an understanding of humanity as a node within complex systems; from controlling the world as an object to coordinating and embedding within its structure. -/- This transformation unfolds across three dimensions. -/- First is the cosmological level of repositioning—recognizing that humanity is not the center of purpose, but a phase structure within the generative processes of nature. Second is the perceptual level of real-world structures—restoring sensitivity to system constraints, feedback mechanisms, and long-term consequences, allowing behavior to align with reality. Third is the ethical expansion—extending responsibility from the short-term and local to the long-term and systemic level, integrating behavior into a broader consequence structure. -/- Through the interaction of these three dimensions, a new form of civilization begins to emerge. This book refers to it as “natural civilization”—a form of civilization that operates on the basis of respecting system structures and natural constraints. It does not deny technological development nor the expansion of human capabilities, but requires that such capabilities be embedded within larger system structures to prevent the continued expansion of structural mismatch. -/- It must be emphasized that this book does not offer simple solutions, nor does it attempt to construct a linear developmental blueprint. Rather, it seeks to reconstruct a more fundamental problem awareness: what we face is not a collection of isolated problems, but a state of overall structural mismatch. -/- Therefore, the significance of this book lies not in providing answers, but in reconstructing the way questions are asked. It seeks to redefine three key questions: How do we understand the world? How do we understand ourselves? And how do we act within the world? -/- In an era where humanity possesses the power to profoundly transform the world, the real question is no longer “what can we do,” but: -/- Do we still know how to coexist with this world? -/- This question forms the core starting point of this book, and may also constitute the deepest philosophical question of our time. -/- . (shrink)

The standard of proof applied in civil trials is the preponderance of evidence, often said to be met when a proposition is shown to be more than 50% likely to be true. A number of theorists have argued that this 50%+ standard is too weak – there are circumstances in which a court should find that the defendant is not liable, even though the evidence presented makes it more than 50% likely that the plaintiff’s claim is true. In this paper, (...) I will recapitulate the familiar arguments for this thesis, before defending a more radical one: The 50%+ standard is also too strong – there are circumstances in which a court should find that a defendant is liable, even though the evidence presented makes it less than 50% likely that the plaintiff’s claim is true. I will argue that the latter thesis follows naturally from the former once we accept that the parties in a civil trial are to be treated equally. I will conclude by sketching an alternative interpretation of the civil standard of proof. (shrink)

A highly original history, tracing civil war, the least understood and most intractable form of organized human aggression, from Ancient Rome through the centuries to present day.

Throughout the long course of human history, “ignorance” has long constituted the primary boundary of civilizational development. A lack of understanding of natural laws, misjudgments about the structure of the universe, and ambiguity regarding humanity’s own position forced humans to rely on experience, intuition, and trial and error, advancing slowly under limited cognitive conditions. However, since the Scientific Revolution, this situation has undergone a fundamental transformation. -/- From Nicolaus Copernicus’s heliocentric system, to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, to modern physics’ (...) deep revelations of micro and cosmic structures, humanity has gradually moved away from a self-centered worldview and constructed a knowledge system grounded in objective laws. The growth of knowledge has expanded humanity’s capacity to understand the world at an unprecedented rate, compressing the realm of the “unknown” to a significant extent. -/- Intuitively, such cognitive expansion should lead to a more rational, stable, and sustainable form of civilization. Yet reality presents an inverse structure: ecosystems continue to degrade, climate risks keep rising, resource consumption accelerates, and social systems, despite increasing interconnectedness, exhibit greater instability. -/- A deeper issue is that these crises do not arise from “ignorance,” but unfold within the realm of the “known.” -/- Humanity not only recognizes the existence of these problems but also understands their mechanisms and consequences at a scientific level. Yet the overall structure of civilization continues along its established trajectory, unable to undergo fundamental transformation. -/- This phenomenon suggests that the core problem of contemporary civilization is no longer a lack of knowledge, but rather an expanding structural gap between knowledge and reality. Humanity is no longer in a state of ignorance, but in a condition of “cognitive sufficiency coupled with structural mismatch.” -/- This mismatch first manifests as an asymmetry between cognitive structures and complex systems. Human cognition primarily evolved in local, short-term, and low-complexity environments, whereas modern civilization operates within global-scale, highly coupled, and long-duration complex systems. When local rationality is embedded within an overall system, it may no longer produce rational outcomes, but instead become a driver of structural imbalance. -/- Second, this mismatch appears as a disjunction between knowledge and behavior. Modern science can explain the world but does not directly determine behavior. Behavior is constrained by institutional structures, technological pathways, and cultural inertia. Within such a multi-layered system, even if individuals fully “know the correct answer,” the overall system may still evolve along suboptimal or even dangerous trajectories. -/- Third, this mismatch is reflected in humanity’s misrecognition of its own position. Although modern science has long revealed that humanity is not the center of the universe, in real-world institutions and behavioral logic, humans still implicitly occupy a central position, treating nature as an external object and the world as a resource system available for unlimited exploitation and transformation. This shift in cognitive coordinates gradually detaches civilization from the natural constraints upon which it depends. -/- Based on the above analysis, this book advances a core judgment: the crisis of contemporary civilization is essentially a systemic structural mismatch—the inconsistency among cognitive structures, behavioral mechanisms, and real-world constraints. This mismatch is not accidental, but the result of the internal evolution of the modern civilizational trajectory. -/- If this judgment holds, then the solution must also undergo a fundamental shift. Relying solely on technological progress, institutional repair, or local optimization may alleviate certain problems, but cannot address their structural roots. True transformation must occur at a deeper level of cognitive structure—how humanity understands its relationship with the world. -/- In this sense, this book proposes the concept of “awakening,” not in a religious or psychological sense, but as a structural cognitive transformation. It signifies a shift from a self-centered worldview to an understanding of humanity as a node within complex systems; from controlling the world as an object to coordinating and embedding within its structure. -/- This transformation unfolds across three dimensions. -/- First is the cosmological level of repositioning—recognizing that humanity is not the center of purpose, but a phase structure within the generative processes of nature. Second is the perceptual level of real-world structures—restoring sensitivity to system constraints, feedback mechanisms, and long-term consequences, allowing behavior to align with reality. Third is the ethical expansion—extending responsibility from the short-term and local to the long-term and systemic level, integrating behavior into a broader consequence structure. -/- Through the interaction of these three dimensions, a new form of civilization begins to emerge. This book refers to it as “natural civilization”—a form of civilization that operates on the basis of respecting system structures and natural constraints. It does not deny technological development nor the expansion of human capabilities, but requires that such capabilities be embedded within larger system structures to prevent the continued expansion of structural mismatch. -/- It must be emphasized that this book does not offer simple solutions, nor does it attempt to construct a linear developmental blueprint. Rather, it seeks to reconstruct a more fundamental problem awareness: what we face is not a collection of isolated problems, but a state of overall structural mismatch. -/- Therefore, the significance of this book lies not in providing answers, but in reconstructing the way questions are asked. It seeks to redefine three key questions: How do we understand the world? How do we understand ourselves? And how do we act within the world? -/- In an era where humanity possesses the power to profoundly transform the world, the real question is no longer “what can we do,” but: -/- Do we still know how to coexist with this world? -/- This question forms the core starting point of this book, and may also constitute the deepest philosophical question of our time. -/- . (shrink)

Chinese environmentalists have called for an ecological civilization. To promote this, ecology is defended as the core science embodying process metaphysics,and it is argued that as such ecology can serve as the foundation of such a civilization. Integrating hierarchy theory and Peircian semiotics into this science,it is shown how “community” and “communities of communities,” in which communities are defined by their organization to promote the common good of theircomponents, have to be recognized as central concepts not only of (...) ecology, but of life itself. This perspective is used to defend Lovelock’s “Gaia” hypothesis and the call of Prugh, Costanza, and Daly for strong democracy. An ethics and political philosophy is sketched based on “eco-poiesis” or “home-making,” which is equated with augmenting the life of communities, both human and non-human. (shrink)

Civil society organizations attempt to induce corporations to behave in more socially responsible ways, with a view to raising labour standards. A broader way of conceptualizing their efforts to influence the policies and practices of employers is desirable, one centred upon the concept of civil governance. This recognizes that CSOs not only attempt to shape the behaviour of employers through the forging of direct, collaborative relationships, but also try to do so indirectly, with interactions of various kinds with the state (...) being integral. Drawing on evidence derived from UK-based CSOs involved in work and employment relations, four types of civil governance are identified and characterized. By elaborating the concept of civil governance, and demonstrating how different types of civil governance operate, the research extends our knowledge and understanding of how CSOs, as increasingly prominent actors in the field of work and employment relations, operate within, and contribute to, systems of labour governance. (shrink)

This paper studies the theme of civilization and barbarism in El Sur, a short story by Jorge Luis Borges. Focusing on the historical perspective, it analyzes the political-geographical discourse of the Argentine elite on the Indians and the geopolitical imaginary of "the South" in the second half of the nineteenth century. The protagonist of the story, Juan Dalhmann, identifies himself as heir to this discourse based on European values as the only pattern of a universal civilization. Dalhmann interprets (...) the difference in geography he encounters on his journey to the South as an anachronism in the temporal order, practicing the "denial of coevalness". The South is for him the space of the Other. The duel at the end of the story between Dalhmann and the man with indian face is a manifestation of the inescapable contradiction when Dalhmann becomes the new civilizer of modernity. (shrink)

Abstract This paper proposes Natural Civilization as a scientific–philosophical framework for addressing global religious conflict, civilizational fragmentation, and ecological crisis. The systemic predicaments confronting contemporary civilization do not originate from religious diversity or cultural difference, but from a fundamental misalignment at the top level of civilizational structure. Theocratic civilizations attempt unification through doctrinal monopoly, resulting in the normalization of conflict, while secular civilizations rely on the privatization of belief, producing value vacuums and civilizational fragility. -/- Natural Civilization (...) advances a non-assimilative mode of unification, grounded in cosmic natural order as the highest constraint and civilizational hierarchy as its operational framework. Based on the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology, this paper argues that cosmology determines civilization, civilization shapes worldview, worldview forms values, and values guide one’s philosophy of life. Through system entropy analysis, religious conflict and civilizational tension can be scientifically interpreted and structurally mitigated. -/- The paper further integrates Natural Civilization with modern technological civilization and Artificial Wisdom (AW) systems, proposing an operational pathway through civilizational hierarchy and entropy management to achieve non-assimilative religious unification, optimized global governance, and ecological sustainability. Natural Civilization preserves religious cultural diversity, ethical functions, and symbolic rituals while depersonalizing truth authority, transforming religion from a source of conflict into a civilizational interface. -/- The contributions of this study are fourfold: (1) establishing cosmic constraint as the supreme civilizational authority through scientific–philosophical reasoning; (2) constructing an analytical model based on civilizational hierarchy and system entropy; (3) providing philosophical and operational foundations for technological civilization and AW systems; (4) presenting a feasible pathway toward non-assimilative religious unification and coordinated global governance. -/- Natural Civilization is not merely a philosophical concept but a comprehensive framework for guiding sustainable civilizational development, ecological adaptation, and technological governance, offering scientific–philosophical support for humanity’s transition toward long-term stability and harmony. (shrink)

Knowledge and Civilization advances detailed criticism of philosophy's usual approach to knowledge and describes a redirection, away from textbook problems of epistemology, toward an ecological philosophy of technology and civilization. Rejecting theories that confine knowledge to language or discourse, Allen situates knowledge in the greater field of artifacts, technical performance, and human evolution. His wide ranging considerations draw on ideas from evolutionary biology, archaeology, anthropology, and the history of cities, art, and technology.

Civilization, Modernity, and Critique provides the first comprehensive, cutting edge engagement with the work of one of the most foundational figures in civilizational analysis: Johann P. Arnason. In order to do justice to Arnason's seminal and wide-ranging contributions to sociology, social theory and history, it brings together distinguished scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and geographical contexts. Through a critical, interdisciplinary dialogue, it offers an enrichment and expansion of the methodological, theoretical, and applicative scope of civilizational analysis, by (...) addressing some of the most complex and pressing problems of contemporary global society. A unique and timely contribution to the ongoing task of advancing the project of a critical theory of society, this volume will appeal to scholars of sociology and social theory with interests in historical sociology, critical theory and civilizational analysis. (shrink)

This work presents a comprehensive philosophical, scientific, and civilizational critique of Claudius Ptolemy and the enduring legacy of geocentrism. It argues that Ptolemy’s cosmological system was not merely an astronomical error, but a foundational distortion that reshaped human cognition, political organization, religious ideology, economic behavior, ecological relations, and academic ethics for nearly two millennia. -/- Drawing upon the theoretical framework of Dr. Charles X. Yang’s Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology and the paradigm of Natural Civilization, this study demonstrates how the geocentric (...) model institutionalized a monocentric worldview that generated intellectual stagnation, religious warfare, authoritarian governance, anthropocentric exploitation, and prestige-driven pseudo-science. -/- Through a systematic, interdisciplinary analysis spanning epistemology, systems theory, entropy science, political philosophy, and ecological ethics, the book identifies “centralization ideology” as the hidden operating system behind humanity’s recurrent civilizational crises. It further contends that modern environmental collapse, expert distrust, and systemic instability represent the terminal stage of this long-standing distortion. -/- The study concludes that humanity’s survival depends on a radical cognitive and institutional transformation toward decentralization, generative order, and epistemic humility. By embracing the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology and reconstructing society according to Natural Civilization principles, humanity may transcend predatory high-entropy development and transition toward a resilient, low-entropy, distributed civilization aligned with cosmic and ecological reality. (shrink)

This paper, based on the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology, argues that the rise and fall of civilization is determined not merely by institutional design or technological progress, but by the structural–entropy dynamics rooted in the cosmic hierarchy. Through systems philosophy and historical case analysis, the study elaborates the constraints of the Dao, the law of entropy, and the principles of natural civilization. It examines the structural characteristics of high-entropy civilizations, contrasts artificial and natural civilizations, reviews historical low-entropy experiments such (...) as the early American Republic, and analyzes the contemporary manifestation of global high-entropy civilization. The study concludes that civilization cannot be “saved” but must be constrained and guided in alignment with universal laws—this is the only rational strategy in a high-entropy world. -/- . (shrink)

This paper proposes a redefinition of civilization as a structure of creative return(structural reintegration). Civilization is not merely a system of cooperation or labor exchange. It is a structured mechanism through which generated energy is re-entered into the ongoing movement of creation. Energy does not disappear; it transforms and circulates. Human beings participate in this circulation by sensing, binding, and structuring energy through emotion and thought. Emotion condenses energy. Thought forms frameworks capable of holding it. When structured, energy (...) gains continuity and becomes capable of generative repetition. This recursive movement constitutes what is defined here as a generative loop. Civilization emerges when generative loops become structured beyond the individual and are transmitted across time. In this context, “return” does not imply theological restoration or transcendental regression. It refers to a structural principle in which formed energy is reintegrated into the ongoing process of generation. The paper further develops the ontological ground of this model, articulates resonance as the human condition enabling generative continuity, and examines the formation and failure of generative loops at civilizational scale. Collapse is interpreted not as the presence of conflict, but as the failure to convert condensed energy into structure. Education, state, and economy are redefined as institutional conditions that determine how generative return is structured and sustained within society. Economy, in particular, is understood as the structured result of energy generation rather than as mere labor exchange. Civilization, therefore, is neither a moral achievement nor a technological stage. It is the ongoing structural return of creativity through human beings as its mediating conduit. (shrink)

La Guerra Civil fue una experiencia decisiva en la evolución del pensamiento de María Zambrano. Entendida y vivida como una tragedia cuyo sujeto es el pueblo, personificación de lo más elemental de la condición humana en su lucha contra el fascismo, esa experiencia abolió cualquier razón en clave idealista y reductora de la vida. En su lugar y en diálogo íntimo con la poesía de Antonio Machado, Zambrano elaborará una razón amorosa que retoma su reflexión anterior a la guerra y (...) la proyecta hacia una razón poética que, ya en el exilio y ante la imposibilidad de una redención de la tragedia, tendrá que orientarse hacia una interioridad radical. (shrink)

This paper proposes Behavioral Cybernetics: Finance and Civilization Risk Theory, systematically analyzing the structural mechanisms of modern civilization risks. It aims to overcome the limitations of single-system or single-discipline approaches by situating financial, technological, political, and ecological subsystems within a multi-level self-organizing framework of civilization as a whole. The study demonstrates that the high-gain structure and positive-feedback-dominated mechanisms of modern civilization allow local disturbances to accumulate rapidly across layers and domains, creating systemic risks. -/- The paper (...) first reviews the historical construction of rationality assumptions and theoretical breakthroughs in behavioral biases, proposing a scientific-philosophical perspective that extends the analysis from financial risk to civilization risk. It then introduces the fundamentals of cybernetics and complex systems, explaining how positive and negative feedback, criticality, and self-organization affect the stability of civilization. A multi-level structural model of civilization is established, revealing how risks originate and propagate across behavioral, economic, institutional, and ideological layers. Through analysis of the financial system, the mechanisms of high-gain amplification within civilization are demonstrated, followed by a staged model of civilization instability. -/- From an ontological perspective, the paper reflects on the structural dilemmas of anthropocentrism, emphasizing the limitless nature of human desire, the finite nature of institutions, and the compressive effects of technological acceleration on system stability. At the institutional and governance level, a “stability-first principle” is proposed, emphasizing multi-level negative feedback design, automated stabilization mechanisms, and strategies to suppress behavioral amplification coefficients to achieve long-term robust operation of civilization systems. -/- The theoretical contribution of this research lies in extending behavioral cybernetics from financial risk to civilization system risk, providing a cross-disciplinary, multi-level analytical framework. Methodologically, it integrates scientific analysis with philosophical-ontological reflection, offering actionable paths for studying civilization risk and designing institutions. Practically, it guides the optimization of future civilization structures, implementing the stability-first principle to achieve sustainable development. -/- . (shrink)

摘要 Abstract -/- 当代人类文明正同时面临政治治理失效、社会对抗结构固化、生态系统超载以及数字技术与人工智能引发的系统性失控风险。主流解释通常将这些危机归因于制度缺陷、技术加速或伦理规范滞后，但本文指出，其更深层根源在于 现代文明所依赖的控制范式本身存在结构性错误。以系统科学与现代控制论为参照，本文提出一种科学哲思批判路径，重新界定老子政治哲学的理论性质，认为其并非“反治理”或消极无为，而是一套关于文明长期稳定运行的自 然控制论（Natural Cybernetics）模型。 -/- 在《老–杨创世纪宇宙观》的理论框架下，本文构建宇宙生成、自然系统与人类文明之间的结构同构关系，将“道生一、一生二、二生三、三生万物”理解为低熵系统逐级展开的生成链条。由此论证老子提出的“无为而治”“上 善若水”“道法自然”等核心命题，实质上揭示了复杂系统得以维持稳态的普遍控制原则：以内生调节为主导、以负反馈优先、以柔性缓冲取代强制干预，并通过最小控制实现整体秩序的自我维持。 -/- 通过对比自然控制论与现代文明中盛行的“人造控制论”——包括政治高度集中、技术官僚体系与算法治理中的预测崇拜与强控制逻辑——本文指出后者在提升短期效率的同时，往往加速熵积累并削弱系统自我修复能力。基于此 ，文章进一步说明老子自然控制论不仅能够解释历史文明的兴衰分岔（如周与楚），也为理解当代国家治理困境、生态危机以及人工智能治理中的系统性风险，提供了一种跨尺度、跨时代的理论框架。 -/- 本文的核心贡献在于：将老子哲学明确定位为一种文明级自然控制理论，揭示其在低熵文明建构与可持续治理中的系统意义，并为未来数字文明与人工智能社会的稳定设计提供基础性思想资源。 -/- Contemporary human civilization faces simultaneous systemic risks, including political governance failures, entrenched social conflicts, ecological overload, and runaway systemic instability triggered by digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Mainstream explanations typically attribute these crises to institutional deficiencies, accelerated technological development, or lagging ethical norms. However, this paper argues that their deeper root lies in structural flaws inherent in the control paradigms on which modern civilization depends. Drawing on (...) systems science and modern cybernetics, we propose a scientifically philosophical critical approach that reconceptualizes Laozi’s political philosophy, emphasizing that it is not “anti-governance” or mere passive wu wei, but rather a model of natural cybernetics designed for the long-term stability of civilization. -/- Within the theoretical framework of the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology, this paper constructs structural isomorphisms between cosmic genesis, natural systems, and human civilization. The sequence “Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to all things” is interpreted as a generative chain through which low-entropy systems unfold across hierarchical scales. Accordingly, Laozi’s core propositions—wu wei governance, “supreme goodness is like water,” and “Dao follows Nature”—are understood as universal control principles that allow complex systems to maintain steady states: endogenous regulation dominates, negative feedback is prioritized, flexible buffering replaces coercive intervention, and minimal control enables self-maintenance of overall order. -/- By contrasting natural cybernetics with the “artificial cybernetics” prevalent in modern civilization—including highly centralized politics, technocratic bureaucracies, and algorithmic governance with predictive fetishism and strong-control logic—this study shows that while the latter may enhance short-term efficiency, it accelerates entropy accumulation and undermines systemic self-repair capacity. Based on this comparison, we further demonstrate that Laozi’s natural cybernetics not only explains historical civilizational bifurcations (e.g., Zhou and Chu) but also provides a cross-scale, cross-temporal framework for understanding contemporary governance crises, ecological challenges, and systemic risks in AI governance. -/- The core contribution of this paper is to position Laozi’s philosophy as a civilization-level theory of natural control, revealing its systemic significance in the construction of low-entropy civilizations and sustainable governance, while providing foundational conceptual resources for the stable design of future digital civilizations and AI societies. (shrink)