The Law of Civilization and Decay: An Essay on History

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Adams, Brooks, 1848-1927

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Law of Civilization and Decay: An Essay on History" by Brooks Adams is a historical account written in the late 19th century. In this work, Adams examines the cycles of civilization, particularly the evolution and eventual decay of societies, arguing for a systematic understanding of history that ties human behavior to economic and social forces. The central thesis suggests that civilizations rise and fall based on their ability to manage the interplay between martial and economic energies, reflecting on the consequences that result when societies become overly centralized. The opening of the text establishes the author's intent and philosophical framework, emphasizing a non-biased, observational approach to history. Adams posits that the essence of societal development can be discerned through the relationship between various social phenomena, such as economics, religion, and military structure. He introduces key concepts explored throughout the essay, including the roles of fear and greed in shaping social movements, and suggests that as societies centralize, they inevitably face disintegration due to the accumulation of power in the hands of wealthy elites. By tracing historical examples, especially the decline of the Roman Empire, he indicates how economic dynamics eroded the vitality of civilizations, ultimately leading to their decay and the rise of new social orders. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Sean (scribe_for_hire@yahoo.com), based on page images generously made available by the Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/lawofcivilizatio00adam).

Notes:

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Law_of_Civilization_and_Decay

Reading ease score: 55.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.

Release date is 2014-02-14