MAN-ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIPS - THE EARLIEST PHASES OF CIVILIZATION

At a primitive level human society is completely dependent on the environment; creation of cultivated areas and towns makes the first stages of civilization possible and human society becomes more and more independent. Then the question is posed why civilization begun in some areas (e.g. Egypt, Mesopotamia, China) and not in others. The hypothesis is proposed, that under particular conditions environment may act as a source of order, which, transferred in the primitive society would represent the starting point for cultural development. In later stages, the 'order' flowing out from society to environment can jeopardize the latter.