Browsing by Subject "civilizations"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Corruption of Institutions and the Decay of Civilizations
    (Nova, 2013-02-08) Andregg, Michael M.
    CORRUPTION OF INSTITUTIONS AND THE DECAY OF CIVILIZATIONS Michael Andregg University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA ABSTRACT This chapter discusses the dangers of corruption of institutions, especially governments, and how such corruption can be exposed and partially cleansed. Theories about the decay phase of civilizations are briefly cited, and examples of corrupted forms of six professions illustrated (military, law, medicine, journalism, business and the clergy). Parallels between large organizations and the human body are shown to illustrate system consequences of dysfunction. An enduring theme is the need for constant, built in mechanisms to reduce corruption in living systems, including the largest scale of civilizations. Some solutions to these problems are mentioned, but readers are also challenged to do better since the problems of corruption of governance have been eternal and have successfully resisted many reform efforts. INTRODUCTION Civilizations are living systems, so like any living system they need at least 19 subsystems to acquire and process food, water, energy and information, to safely dispose of toxic byproducts or wastes, to avoid being eaten themselves, and otherwise to stay alive and to reproduce themselves. In one sense all these life functions are equally “essential” (Miller, Living Systems, 1978). Still I will maintain here that cleansing a civilization regularly of corruption (or empire or nation state) is especially important. Why?
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Evil in Civilizations and Solutions
    (Nova, 2015-01-19) Andregg, Michael M.
    EVIL IN CIVILIZATIONS AND SOLUTIONS Michael Andregg* University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA ABSTRACT This is an attempt to analyze “evil” and search for solutions. To simplify the analysis, the phenomena that concern us are divided into three categories: individual, organizational, and the possibility of supernatural evil. Each is briefly described and exemplified. Particular attention is paid to psychopathic personalities among individuals and to secret power systems among groups; both are especially prone to evil acts. Plus, they interact synergistically. Opinions on evil from major religious traditions are compared. A small section on the evolution of evil in civilizations is followed by a section of proposed solutions to this transcendent global problem. Keywords: Evil, Organizational Evil, Civilizations, Psychopathic Personalities, Spies INTRODUCTION Human civilization is in crisis. To a degree, it always has been thus. Civilizations have risen, fallen, transformed and clashed many times. Some posit cycles of growth and decay. But today, human survival itself is at risk. That is new. Predatory leaders with “psychopathic” personalities sometimes gain control of powerful nations. Catastrophic ideologies can then arise, like “Nazi Fascism”, “Communism” or market fundamentalism (abhorrence of regulation and taxes to support common goods) that result in the violent deaths of scores of millions of people in hot and cold wars that may last for decades.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Religion for a Sustainable Civilization
    (Nova, 2012-08-22) Andregg, Michael M.
    RELIGION FOR A SUSTAINABLE CIVILIZATION Dr. Michael Andregg University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA mmandregg@stthomas.edu ABSTRACT This paper looks at a paradox of large religions in the modern world, some driving us toward endless war even though all the founding prophets spoke about peace, and cited Golden Rules of very similar meaning. It identifies “authoritarian law and militant religion” as interacting evils wrapped in soft words of scriptural origin. It applauds the emergence of “sustainable stewardship” as a counterpoint to more primitive “multiply and dominate” theologies. It shows how “people of faith” and “people of reason” coexist in many churches, but differ in how they evaluate the world. The author discusses why we need a civilizational religion that could manage the planet and the people on it more humanely, instead of subjugating and exploiting them for anyone’s short term benefit. And he ends with a concrete list of characteristics that global religion should have. Key words: Civilization, religion, sustainability, spirituality, decay, war, authoritarianism, ethics, history, philosophy, sociology